Eyes On You

Chapters

2 - First Impressions (Trixie)
3 - Breaking The Ice (Twilight)
4 - Caring (Trixie)
5 - Cluelessness (Twilight)
6 - In Good Hooves (Trixie)
Interlude - The Element Of Magic
7 - It Takes Two (Twilight)
8 - Jealousy (Trixie)
9 - A Great And Powerful Partner (Twilight)
11 - Operation Rainbow Dash (Twilight)
12 - Showmare's Flaunt (Trixie)
13 - Departure (Twilight)
14 - Worries And Kindness (Trixie)
Interlude - Reflection
16 - Of Colts And Chimaeras (Trixie)
17 - Seeking Answers (Twilight)
18 - Complications, Part One (Twilight)
19 - Complications, Part Two (Twilight)
20 - What She Sees (Trixie)
21 - Duet (Twilight)
Final Interlude - Getting It Right
22 - Eyes On You (Twixie)
23 - Closing Thoughts (Trixie)
24 REDUX - Harmony, part one (Trixie)
25 REDUX - Harmony, part two (Trixie)
26 - A Loose End (Trixie)
27 - Home
28 - Unforgotten
1 - Prologue (Twilight)
10 - Friendship Is Complicated (Trixie)
15 - Introductions (Twilight)
Epilogue and author's notes

2 - First Impressions (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter two: First Impressions

A wonderful wave of luxurious relaxation spread throughout Trixie’s entire body as she awoke from her beautiful dream. She felt the warm caress of the sheets that covered her, the soft embrace of the mattress that held her… For as long as she could remember, she had never woken up feeling quite as content as this…

The wide, comfortable smile on her face faded quickly however, as she tried to move her foreleg and was stricken with a sudden pain. It wasn’t all that intense, but it was enough to skip her through the next few blissful stages of partial unconsciousness.

‘Who dares to disturb Trixie’s rest?!’ she thought angrily. Her eyes flashed open and hunted for the culprit, but there was nopony else in the room. What she did notice was the woollen cast around her foreleg, at the sight of which she sighed gloomily.

Wait… nopony else in the ‘Room’? She didn’t remember falling to sleep here… The last thing she did recall was getting to her hooves in the hospital tent. So then, this must be…

As if on cue, the door creaked open a few inches and a familiar, lavender nose appeared, followed by a pair of lilac eyes which glanced nervously towards Trixie.

“Oh, you’re awake!” said Twilight Sparkle with an annoyingly cheerful smile on her face.

She arrogantly pushed into the room, without asking Trixie’s approval, and approached the bed. Naturally, Trixie opened her mouth to voice her displeasure at the intrusion, but her words were cut off as she caught sight of the tray of food which hovered in mid-air.

“I made you breakfast,” said the purple intruder, with a wider and prouder smile on her face. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I just made a bit of everything.”

Twilight Sparkle set the tray down onto the tree stump and smiled at Trixie again. “And, in case you need anything else, I’ll be just downstairs. Feel free to give me a shout any time.”

‘She's enjoying this, isn’t she?!’ thought Trixie with a scowl. ‘Enjoying the sight of a powerless Trixie! Well, I’ll show her who’s powerless!’

Trixie’s attempt to sit upright was thwarted by a stabbing pain in her flank. She collapsed back down onto the pillow and cringed with hurtful embarrassment.

“Are you okay?!” cried the purple unicorn in alarm. Her feigned sympathy only served to make it hurt more.

“Trixie is fine!” growled the show-mare. “Are your continued mockeries really necessary?”

“M-Mockeries?” stammered Twilight, taking a step back. “I was just worried that you might have hurt yourself…”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need your ‘compassion’, Twilight Sparkle!” said Trixie hotly, with scornful emphasis on the word ‘compassion’. “She is NOT weak and she does NOT approve of your patronising demeanour!”

“But I--”

“Good day, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie glared at the dejected purple unicorn until she left the room. Trixie’s frown did not fade after the intruder had left. She didn’t feel triumphant and she didn’t feel any better for taking her anger out on Twilight Sparkle… even if she was deserving of it.

Her frustration seemed to have robbed her of her appetite, so she didn’t even glance at the tray of food from which the familiar aroma of cinnamon-apple pancakes, her favourite, was emanating.

Instead, she closed her eyes tightly and pulled the bed sheets up to her chin with magic… which probably shouldn’t have been as difficult as it was. Obviously, her well-placed rage was hampering her concentration…

Deciding to come back to Ponyville was a terrible mistake! If not for that ‘incident’ in the woods, she would probably have realised that a lot sooner. She didn’t even remember ‘why’ she had wanted to come back here in the first place!

With a grumpy sigh, she buried her head in the pillow and tried to forget about everything, just for a while…

* * *

Trixie trotted cautiously along through the dense woods, the trail ahead becoming ever narrower. The sky above was ominously dark and creepy shadows seemed to stalk her every move – flickering in the corner of her eye and vanishing when she turned to look.

‘Perhaps this shortcut wasn’t such a good idea…’ thought Trixie as the shiver-inducing hoot of an owl gave her a start. The Everfree Forest… she could have sworn that it hadn’t been like this when she last passed through here.

Her sense of foreboding only intensified into dread as she recognized the twisted rock formation on her left. She had been here before! Not just in this place, but in this very moment as well! But how was that possible?

She knew what came next, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t convince her hooves to obey her. They just kept trotting forwards, unwavering, as if some strange force were commanding them along this path.

Her power over her body seemed to be limited – she could only do things exactly as they had happened, like following a script for some twisted play… She didn’t want to be here again, especially if she couldn’t change it…

There it was… the howling. That loud, dreadful howling from all around her. Now her hooves stopped, just as she was willing them desperately to move faster.

The cold seemed to creep into her skin as demonic figures emerged from the trees and blocked the trail ahead. Their massive, scraggy black coats blotted out the background. Their low, guttural growls sent icy chills down her spine. Their glowing, red eyes reached into her very soul and gripped it with terror.

They crept towards Trixie. Dark, boding evil without number or solid form. The Frightened and Powerless Trixie begged her body to obey her, to run! But it still wouldn’t listen.

The figures came ever closer, with each step they took blotting out a little more of the rest of the world. The lead creature, larger and more terrible than the rest, the embodiment of fear itself, suddenly pushed off from the ground and soared towards Trixie.

Trixie rolled to the side almost too late – barely avoiding the beast’s vicious claws. With her control finally restored, she brought her forelegs into the air and slammed them to the ground, sending up a disorienting cloud of magical smoke.

She didn’t waste any time in galloping off into the tree line, hoping that her little trick would throw the beasts off for a while. But it was barely a few seconds before she heard pounding footfalls and baleful growls from behind her.

Another dark figure burst out from a bush just ahead and bounded towards her. In desperation, Trixie focused her magic towards it and sent forth a blinding beam of light which seemed to disperse the spectre in a puff of black smoke. Two more hounds took its place – both larger, both darker and both snarling vengefully.

With her heart pounding, Trixie dipped and dived through the trees, evading the ferocious shadows that came at her from everywhere. She cast the occasional cantrip in an attempt to ward them off, but it only seemed to make them angrier.

Finally she burst out into a large clearing and, in her panic, caught her foreleg on an unseen root. She collapsed to her knees. That was it… she couldn’t run anymore.

As dark figures began to emerge from all sides, she cried out for help. Her powerful voice resounded throughout the clearing, but the only reply she received was the harsh barking of fiendish hounds.

She caught sight of the massive alpha-wolf again and gazed into the terrifying pits of flaming hatred that were his eyes. The circle of icy darkness began to close in on her. Trixie wasn’t going to let them get her…

She had very little knowledge of spells which could physically protect her, but she wasn’t helpless… Fiercely baring her teeth at the lead wolf and pouring all of her magical reserves into her horn, the unicorn began to channel the most powerful spell she could think of.

An incredible burst of white light exploded from her horn and pushed back the dark figures. The air crackled with magical energy as six large, radiant orbs began to swirl around in midair, forming a shield of light around the unicorn.

The shadowy wolves burned under its glare, but they only retreated a few steps. The pained expression on Trixie’s face must have been obvious. They knew she couldn’t keep this up for long…

Trixie closed her eyes tightly and focused harder. Every second that passed made it more difficult for her to maintain the spell. Her muscles ached. Her head was burning. She felt the magic dissipating from the air around her. The light was dimming, she could tell.

Something slammed into her left shoulder with all the force of a speeding freight train and sent her crumpling to the ground. Even as she collapsed, she felt a burning sensation cut through her flank. She let out another yell.

All seemed lost as she laid there cringing in pain. She felt the darkness encroaching and knew that her spell had ended. As the heat drained from her body, she boldly opened one eye and stared defiantly up at the alpha-wolf, who was howling in triumph to his pack.

His smugness was not to last however…

A massive beam of purple shot forth from the trees and swallowed up the massive beast along with half of his pack. From the tree line emerged another figure, not dark and ominous, but bright and beautiful, glowing with lavender-coloured hope.

The nightmarish creatures yelped and whined as they were washed away by the sheer, radiant light from this gorgeous creature. In a matter of seconds, all but the two mares had been reduced to clouds of black smoke, which quickly dissolved into nothingness.

The new arrival approached and, as its luminescence engulfed Trixie, it seemed to melt away all of her pain and doubt. The icy chill of the forest, and indeed the forest itself, began to fade away. Trixie knew that she was safe.

The mare of lavender light smiled kindly and extended a hoof. Trixie couldn’t see who it was, but it didn’t matter. She painlessly lifted her foreleg and reached towards the warm embrace of the unicorn’s light…

* * *

Trixie opened her eyes and blinked a few times, restoring her connection to the physical world. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel after a nightmare like that… was it even a nightmare?

The dark figures had been utterly terrifying of course, but there was something about that shining purple unicorn that made her fear seem… insignificant – like it didn’t really matter at all…

She closed her eyes and tried to recreate the scene in her mind. Her memory of what had really happened was hazy at best, but there was one thing that she knew for sure – ‘If it weren’t for Twilight Sparkle, I would be dead…’

That made twice now, and Trixie wasn’t sure what to do about it…

On the one hoof, she naturally felt indebted to Twilight, that she should do something to show her gratitude. But on the other hoof, she was ashamed of herself – Ashamed that she had been overwhelmed by a meagre pack of wolves. Embarrassed that she hadn’t been powerful enough to take down an Ursa Minor, a baby!

And that blasted purple unicorn had been the one to pull Trixie’s flank out of the fire each time! How could ‘she’, having lived a pampered life in Ponyville, possess more power than the Great and Powerful Trixie?!

‘It’s not fair!’ she thought, her foul mood returning. ‘Has Trixie… Have ‘I’ not worked the harder? Having spent my life on the long, hard road, should I not be the stronger? Why is it that she--’

Trixie paused mid-thought. Something disturbing had just occurred to her – ‘Am I… jealous?’

No, it couldn’t be. The Great and Powerful Trixie, envious of some lowly village-dweller?! Ha, ha! Unthinkable!

…Though, that would explain the unprovoked anger which she felt whenever she saw Twilight Sparkle… as well as the unshakeable feeling that she had to prove herself to somepony…

Was that it then? Jealousy?

‘Argh, this is ridiculous!’ she growled mentally.

Trixie steadily struggled up into a sitting position, biting back the pain. Yes, it hurt, but that didn’t matter – if Trixie did not want it to affect her, then it would not affect her. For she was the Great and Powerful Trixie, mastered by none, not even her emotions!

Regardless of whether or not she was jealous of Twilight Sparkle, the fact remained that the purple unicorn had saved her life.

‘It’s a matter of principle,’ she thought, trying to convince herself. ‘I owe a debt to Twilight Sparkle, and I cannot pay it if I am constantly letting my envy get in the way. I may not like her and she may not like me, but if we can’t settle this reasonably then I may as well have not come back here at all!’

Her mind was clearer now than it had been in the angry haze of that morning… she remembered her reason for returning to Ponyville. Acting on reflex, she flicked her horn slightly and summoned the familiar, brown-papered envelope from thin air.

She didn’t open it – she knew exactly what the letter inside said, almost word-for-word. She just sat there, levitating the envelope about a foot from her face, and stared at the word ‘Trixie’ on the front, written in His tidy, dignified scrawl.

This was the letter that had brought her back here.

It only took a moment of thoughtful gazing before she knew what she had to do. With another flick from Trixie’s horn, the envelope vanished, and the mare’s mouth curved into a confident smile – The next time Twilight Sparkle walked through that door, Trixie would do what she had come back to do.

It didn’t occur to her that that might not be as easy as it sounded, or that it might have been a bad sign that her mind was eager to get off of this topic as soon as possible. It was too late to consider that though, for Trixie had already moved her attention on to more important matters…

Namely, that sweet smell of cinnamon-apple which was drifting over from her bedside tree stump…

Her stomach gave a muffled growl as she laid her eyes upon the untouched breakfast tray. Everything looked delicious! Of course, when one hadn’t eaten for days, that could be said for pretty much anything… anything except that bowl of green, gloopy sludge which looked more like a facial care product than it did vegetable soup.

Trixie magically lifted the off-putting bowl of grunge and hid it behind the stump, out of sight. Then she brought the tray over and rested it on her lap, staring hungrily at the small stack of round pancakes in the corner.

With absolutely no regard for the cutlery, Trixie levitated two of the pancakes up to her mouth and took a generous bite. They were cold… and rather chewy… but they tasted divine!

‘Hmm, not bad,’ she thought to herself as she wolfed down the last of the pancakes in no time at all. In fact, it had been a long while since she had tasted anything quite that delicious, but she wasn’t about to admit that – considering they were made by Twilight Sparkle.

With the pancakes gone, Trixie frowned – Now that she could see all of the food up close, it didn’t look quite as appetising…

She levitated one of the several grossly malformed, greenish masses from her tray and eyed it carefully. Being as hungry as she was, she optimistically saw it as a very rustic grass waffle – rustic to the point that it looked as if somepony had dropped it on the floor and stepped on it repeatedly…

If the pancakes had been that delicious… that is to say, adequate… then the ‘waffles’ couldn’t be too bad. She decided not to let the appearance put her off… but the taste didn’t give her a choice…

Wishing that she hadn’t taken such a large bite, Trixie glanced hastily around for somewhere to dispose of this… this… Frankly, the adjective to describe this level of ‘disgustingness’ had yet to be invented.

To make matters worse, there came a sudden series of knocks from the door. “Trixie, may I come in?”

Trixie took one last, desperate glance around the room before solemnly conceding. Through incredible force of will, she managed to swallow the mutant waffle – which sent a horrible shudder through her entire body.

‘Never again,’ she thought, still pale-faced as she levitated the tray back onto the tree stump. ‘Never again…’

“Trixie?” came Twilight’s uncertain voice.

The show-mare shook herself off and faced the door, longing for a tube of toothpaste. She put on her most confident face and cleared her throat…

“Ahem, you may enter.”

‘The next time Twilight Sparkle walks through that door, do what you came back to do…’ It had been a good concept, but the very sight of Twilight’s determined eyes as she trotted into the room told Trixie that it wasn’t going to be that simple.

Trixie’s emotions had suddenly decided to oppose the idea. It took her a brief moment to get them in check, and Twilight presumptuously took the silence as a queue to speak.

“Trixie, I--”

“--Twilight,” Trixie interrupted urgently, still wrestling with her pride. “I know what you are going to say, but I assure you that it is entirely un--”

“--Shush!”

Trixie was taken aback. Did Twilight Sparkle just ‘shush’ her?!

“Did you just--”

“--Just listen to what I have to say!” demanded the purple unicorn. The forceful attitude was annoyingly admirable, but being cut off mid-sentence wasn’t helping Trixie to repress her emotions.

Twilight continued. “I brought you something…”

Trixie paused for a moment at this unexpected announcement. Whilst Jealousy and Pride were busy tussling with each other, Curiosity stepped forward and took its place on the stage.

“Oh… is that so?” said Trixie, trying to sound only mildly interested. “Well… what is it?”

Without moving, Twilight levitated a small, wooden box into the room and set it down next to Trixie’s bed. She gestured confidently with a hoof. “See for yourself.”

Cautiously, the show-mare lifted the box onto her lap. It was unexpectedly light… in fact it must have been nearly empty. The lid was already loose, so Trixie wasted no time in pushing it open with her good hoof and taking a look inside.

‘Oh, thank Celestia!’ she thought as she noticed the relieving absence of mutant grass waffles. ‘But… what’s this?’

For a moment, she thought the light was playing tricks on her. Just to make sure, she focused her magic on the box’s contents and lifted them into the air.

Trixie almost couldn’t believe her eyes. Sure enough, there hovered a familiar, purple cape – beautifully patterned with stars of various shapes and sizes, all in shades of blue and yellow and…

“Twilight Sparkle…” breathed Trixie quietly, momentarily forgetting her conflicted emotions. “Where did you find this?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Twilight said dismissively, the smile coming back to her face. “But it wasn’t easy! I had to call in a few favours… well, maybe more than a few…”

“…Why?” said Trixie, narrowing her eyes in suspicion as she looked towards the smiling unicorn. “Why go to all that trouble?”

“Because,” began Twilight, taking a step forward. “You’ve obviously got the wrong impression about me – I’m not here to ‘mock’ or ‘patronize’ you – and I wanted to show you that.”

Trixie rarely found herself at a loss for words, but this was one of those times. Her emotions were beginning to get tangled up with one another, making it hard to figure out how she was supposed to react. “But… what--”

“I’m sorry, all right?” Twilight interrupted as she stared honestly into Trixie’s eyes. “I… I don’t think you’re weak.”

‘She’s… sorry?' thought Trixie. This ‘conversation’ was getting more confusing by the second. ‘I should probably say something…’

“Twilight Sparkle, I cannot allow you to--”

The purple unicorn held up a definitive hoof. “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer. You keep that cloak, as a gift from me. All I ask in return is that you relax and let me help you out once in a while.”

Now Trixie was completely lost. Twilight Sparkle was making no sense at all! What kind of a request was that in exchange for a gift such as this?

“Trixie does not understand…” said the show-mare hopelessly. “Why would you do this?”

Twilight smiled softly. “Because sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness…”

With that, the purple unicorn just up and left the room, leaving a stunned Trixie in her wake. As Twilight closed the door behind her, Trixie became alone with her thoughts once again.

It took a few moments for the stormy sea of emotion within her to calm itself but, when it did, the azure unicorn performed a mental facehoof. She was far too proud to tell Twilight why she had come back to Ponyville, which made the whole thing seem like a big waste of time.

Of course, Twilight’s constant interruptions didn’t help! If Trixie had gotten a word in edgeways then maybe… ‘Oh, who am I kidding?’ she thought solemnly. ‘Maybe I should just leave now, there’s no point in staying in Ponyville…’

But the very idea of leaving brought the letter straight back into her mind, followed by His visage, shaking its head in disappointment.

“Shut up, old man!” she snarled angrily, banishing the vision. “If you hadn’t sent that stupid letter then I wouldn’t even be here!”

Right now, she genuinely believed that… but some voice deep inside of her knew that her anger was misplaced. She sighed – whether she liked it or not, she wasn’t going anywhere. If she left now, then she would never be able to drive these distracting thoughts from her mind.

She began to look around slowly, as if something in the room would help her solve the dilemma, and inevitably her eyes fell upon the cape that now laid in her lap.

“A little…kindness…?” she repeated thoughtfully as she ran her hoof across the soft fabric. She hugged the garment close to her chest and laid her head down on the pillow once more, thinking.

The words echoed through her head over and over as she tried to make sense of them. It wasn’t as if the prospect of giving and receiving gifts was unknown to Trixie – her fans sent her gifts all the time, in exchange for gracing them with her incredible performances!

But making a sacrifice of oneself when there was nothing to be gained in return… Generosity for the sake of Kindness? It just seemed downright unreasonable. Did Twilight Sparkle really think like that? Did anypony?

Trixie didn’t have to admit that it was a nice thought, but she did have to admit that it made her curious. Maybe, since she was going to be sticking around anyway, a bit of subtle research into that mindset might be prudent?

‘Very well,’ she thought with a shrug. ‘Anything to take my mind off of that letter for a while… I’ll get around to figuring that out later.’

With that last assurance to herself, Trixie closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of her cape. It wasn’t quite the same as she remembered – the scent that is – but even without its counterpart, the magician’s hat, the cape still reminded her of Him…

Normally, it would have been a nice memory, but having Him butting-in to her thoughts every five minutes was getting pretty irritating. She dispelled the image from her mind by thinking back to Twilight’s mystifying words – the silent consideration of which would occupy Trixie for the rest of that day…

‘Just… a little kindness…’

* * *

3 - Breaking The Ice (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter three: Breaking The Ice

Twilight Sparkle gave her reflection a goofy smile as she magically drew the brush through her bed-mane. The peaceful Sunday morning silence was pierced only by the snores of a certain baby dragon – still curled up in his basket at the foot of Twilight’s bed. Normally, she would tell him to stop being so lazy and enjoy the day but, after such a good night’s sleep, she was feeling particularly merciful.

Setting down her hairbrush, she turned on the spot and strode out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. Her only thoughts as she took the stairs at her leisure were of what she was going to make herself for breakfast. At least until she came to the open door to Trixie’s bedroom.

Curious, she peeked inside and saw the empty bed with its sheets thrown aside clumsily. There was no sign of Trixie, her cape, or even the plate on which Twilight had brought her dinner the night before. “Trixie?” she called out uncertainly as she stepped into the room. She poked her muzzle underneath the bed for good measure, even though Trixie probably wouldn’t fit under there anyway.

Brow still furrowed in confusion, she left the room and trotted off downstairs. When she at last came out into the lobby, she let out a breath she wasn’t sure why she was holding in the first place. Trixie, clad in her newly-returned cape and with one foreleg still cast-bound to her chest, was perched on a stool beside a table – upon which was an open book.

“Um, what are you doing?” asked Twilight as she hopped down the last few stairs. “How did you even get out of bed?”

Trixie looked up at her with a haughty glare. “For your information, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie still has three good hooves – she isn’t as helpless as you think.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. Trixie obviously hadn’t taken any of their conversation yesterday to heart. “I don’t think you’re helpless, Trixie,” she said impatiently, striding across the room towards the kitchen door. “But I do think you should be resting.”

“Trixie will decide when she needs to rest, thank you,” she said coldly.

Twilight mockingly parodied Trixie in silence whilst making her way into the kitchen. She really wasn’t feeling up to starting an argument that early in the morning. Besides, Trixie was a grown mare and, as Twilight had said yesterday, she had no interest in demeaning her.

With a shake of her head, Twilight turned her attention back to the task at hoof. The kitchen was all in perfect order, except for the plate beside the sink – no doubt left by Trixie. To Twilight’s surprise though, she found it glistening clean – polished to perfection, almost. Eyebrows raised, she put it to one side and grasped a second one from the cupboard before setting about making breakfast.

She hummed a gentle tune as she went through the process, which she’d memorized from a cookery book the day before. Several pancakes were soon sizzling away atop the stove, leaving Twilight with a proud smile on her face. On instinct, she turned around to look back into the lobby, where she saw Trixie watching her. When their eyes met, Trixie quickly looked away, pretending to be reading her book. Twilight frowned for a moment, but soon put it out of her mind and went back to her cooking.

When, after several minutes, she’d managed to make a decent amount of pancakes, she split them onto the two plates and magically carried them into the lobby along with a pair of forks. “I hope you’re hungry,” she said with a smile. Trixie looked up from her book as Twilight set the two plates down on her table. “You don’t mind if I sit with you, do you?”

Trixie’s face said that she minded very much. She opened her mouth as if about to argue but, after a moment, she composed herself and shrugged. Twilight magically pulled over a stool of her own and hopped up onto it as Trixie closed her book and dragged her plate closer.

“Thank you,” Trixie muttered, not meeting Twilight’s eye. “For the food, that is.” Twilight offered her another smile before grasping her fork and digging into her breakfast. “Not that Trixie couldn’t have managed on her own,” she added hastily.

“Of course,” Twilight agreed through a cheek-full of pancake which hid her smirk. She watched and waited patiently as Trixie picked up her fork and hesitated, staring at the pancakes.

“Cinnamon-apple again?” Trixie asked.

Twilight swallowed her mouthful and nodded. “Yeah. Why? Don’t you like them? I can make something else if you--”

“No, that’s fine!” said Trixie quickly, snatching the plate in her magic as Twilight reached for it. Seeing Twilight’s raised eyebrows, she cleared her throat and flicked back her mane before digging in.

Brushing it off as ‘Trixie being Trixie’, Twilight turned back to her own food. “So, do you mind if I ask what you were doing in the Everfree forest?” she asked casually.

“Trixie could ask you the same question,” Trixie replied snappily.

That’s a yes then… thought Twilight with a roll of her eyes. “I was on my way back from visiting my friend Zecora,” she said before taking another bite of pancake.

“Oh.” Trixie paused for a moment in thought. “Well, Trixie was on her way to Ponyville,” she said.

Attention perked, Twilight looked across at her with interest. “Really? How come?”

Trixie looked back down at her food. “Just passing through,” she lied obviously, taking an unnecessarily large bite of her pancake to avoid having to elaborate.

Twilight took the hint and decided to drop the subject – though she had to admit that Trixie’s strange response made her even more curious. She idly chewed her food as she racked her brain for something else to talk about, but nothing sprung to mind. With nothing better to keep her occupied, she found herself staring at Trixie’s cast in thought. Personally, she’d never had a broken limb before – those kinds of injuries were pretty rare. At least, they were outside of the Everfree forest…

“Do you want to talk about anything?” Twilight tried, eager to get her mind off of the unpleasant subject as quickly as possible. “I mean, back in the tent, you looked like you wanted to say something…” She trailed off. Trixie paused mid-mouthful and stared at her plate as if she was considering something. Eventually, she shook her head, drawing a silent sigh from Twilight. “Are--”

A rapping on the front door surprised Twilight. She and Trixie exchanged a quick, questioning glance before Twilight got to her hooves and went to answer it. As she pulled open the door, she was met by a blindingly cheery grin.

“Hi, Twilight!” chirped Pinkie Pie loudly. “Hope I’m not interrupting your breakfast – which it looks like I am – but I just had to come over and give you these this morning!” She extended a hoof, upon which laid a pair of paper slips.

Twilight took them in her magic and held them up with a furrowed brow. “Pinkie, you invited me to your party last week, remember?” she said with a questioning smile at her friend.

Pinkie giggled. “Look closer, silly!”

Frowning, Twilight did as she was asked. “…Surprise,” she read slowly. “You are invited to Pinkie Pie’s ‘Welcome to Ponyville Trixi--’” She broke off and raised her eyebrows in realisation. “Uh, Pinkie Pie, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” said Pinkie with a cheerful sort of half-frown. “Don’t you remember how much you loved your ‘welcome to Ponyville’ party?”

“Um, yes, that’s kind of my point--”

“Ohmygosh!” Pinkie exclaimed, looking past Twilight with wide eyes and slack jaw. “The Great and Powerful Trixie!” In a flash of pink, she shot past, grabbing back one of the invitations as she went.

Twilight gawped as she turned to see Pinkie leaning over Trixie’s table with a massive grin on her face. Trixie, on the other hoof, was leant back on her stool and regarding Pinkie as if she were a crazy pony. Twilight remembered the feeling with a sigh.

“Hi, Trixie! I’m Pinkie Pie! Do you remember me, huh? I was at your show last time you were in Ponyville – in the front row! Remember? With the magic and the fireworks and the big, scary Ursa stomping through town and-- Oh, pancakes!”

Twilight’s hoof met her face as Pinkie helped herself to her lovingly-crafted breakfast. Twilight strode up to the table and gestured towards Pinkie. “Trixie, this is my friend Pinkie Pie,” she explained tiredly. “She’s not big on subtlety…”

“Trixie can see that,” muttered Trixie, wide-eyed as she watched Pinkie devour Twilight’s pancakes, two at a time. After a few more seconds, Pinkie thrust the plate at Twilight.

“Want one?” she offered generously with a smile. Twilight shook her head, after which Pinkie wasted no time in swallowing the last pancake. Then she turned to Trixie again. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She hoofed over the party invite with an expectant smile.

Trixie took the slip of paper in her magic and scanned it cautiously. “…A party?” she said finally, looking up at Pinkie with a furrowed brow.

“Oh, say you’ll come – please!” Pinkie begged, putting her hooves together pleadingly. “I promise it’ll be super fun, and I’ve always wanted to throw a party for somepony like you! But of course I couldn’t – because there is nopony like you, except you!”

Trixie looked a little surprised at first, then she flicked back her mane with a smirk. “Well, Trixie can’t argue with that,” she said proudly, prompting another eye roll from Twilight.

Pinkie gasped. “So you’ll come?”

Trixie nodded. “Alright, my pink admirer – Trixie will come to your party. But it had better be--”

“Woohoo!” yelled Pinkie, so loudly that both Twilight and Trixie cringed in surprise. “Thanks, Trixie. I’m going straight to the soap stall! See you tonight!”

“Soap?” Trixie repeated quizzically, but Pinkie had already bid a hasty farewell to Twilight and dashed out through the door. She turned to Twilight and furrowed her brow. “What did Trixie just agree to?”

“You don’t want to know,” said Twilight with a sigh. She lifted her now-empty plate with her magic and set off towards the kitchen. “I’ll go make myself some more breakfast.”

She had just reached the door when Trixie called after her. “Twilight Sparkle?” she began. Twilight turned to her with eyebrows raised expectantly. “How do you have a kitchen in your library?”

Twilight stared for a moment, then offered a sheepish grin.

* * *

As the day went on, Twilight took to reading her own book across from Trixie – something she quickly found herself absorbed in, as always. Twilight tried a few times to start a conversation, but it was obvious that Trixie wasn’t interested in talking. That said, she didn’t seem that engrossed in her book either, because Twilight kept catching her looking across the table at her, only to look away again when she offered a smile in response.

The Sun was already low in the sky when Twilight and Trixie left for the party that evening. Twilight closed the door behind her and turned to Trixie with a frown. “Trixie, I know you can take care of yourself, but do you really want to limp all the way to the party?”

Trixie, who had been magically adjusting the clasp on her cape, met Twilight’s eye with a dangerous look. “If you think that Trixie is going to let you carry her, you’re going to be disappointed.”

“Well, you could at least lean on me to help you balance,” Twilight tried. She offered a smile that she hoped was reassuring. “I promise that no-one will think you’re any less ‘Great and Powerful’ for--”

“Don’t bother, Twilight Sparkle,” said Trixie with a haughty flick of her mane. “Trixie knows what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work.” With that, she started steadily down the street without a backwards look.

Twilight shook her head and trotted up alongside her. “Um, Sugarcube Corner is the other way,” she said. Trixie stopped with a deadpan expression on her face, then limped around in a circle and headed off in the other direction, Twilight at her side. “And what is it that I’m ‘trying to do’?” Twilight asked with her brow furrowed.

“As if you don’t know,” said Trixie in an accusing tone. “You’re trying to make yourself look better at Trixie’s expense.”

“T-That’s ridiculous!” said Twilight loudly, feeling her face grow hot. “I just want to help! How many times do I have to say it?” She tried to meet Trixie’s eyes, but she had her head turned to the other side, deliberately avoiding her. “Are you really that mad about the Ursa Minor thing?” she asked hotly. She regretted it almost as soon as the words had left her mouth – it was petty and mean, even if she really did want to know the answer.

Trixie shot her a scowl. “You think this is about that?” she snapped. “You think too highly of yourself, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight scoffed. “Look who’s talking!”

With a scoff of her own, Trixie shook her head and faced forwards again. Twilight’s triumphant smirk lasted only a few seconds before she started feeling a little guilty. The silence dragged on until Sugarcube Corner appeared around the next corner, at the sight of which Twilight gave a huff. “Sorry,” she grumbled, half-hoping that Trixie wouldn’t hear her.

“Would you stop that?” said Trixie suddenly. Twilight turned to regard the side of her head with furrowed brow.

“Stop what?” she asked.

“Apologising,” Trixie clarified, still not meeting her eye. “After all you’ve done for Trixie, it--” She broke off and huffed. “Just don’t.”

Surprised by the sudden tangent, Twilight found herself slowing down a little, letting Trixie pull ahead. Had Trixie just thanked her? Even if it had been a rather hostile way of saying it, it made her feel strangely warm. She shook her head and caught up quickly, managing to keep her smile to a mere whisper.

The two of them came to a stop in front of the door. As Twilight lifted a hoof to knock, she gave Trixie a sidelong look. “You might want to brace yourself,” she warned. Trixie furrowed her brow as Twilight rapped on the door, but she didn’t have time to ask a question before it burst open, covering them both in a wave of confetti.

“Surprise!” yelled Pinkie Pie, rearing up on her hind legs and flinging out her hooves in welcome. “Well, sort of… I mean it’s not really a surprise party since I gave you an invitation but I bet you were still surprised when I jumped out like that and said ‘Surprise!’, weren’t ya?”

“Hmph, nothing surprises the Great and Powerful Trixie,” lied Trixie confidently – despite having jumped back in fright at Pinkie’s appearance.

“Ooo, that sounds like a challenge!” said Pinkie, leaning in to beam at Trixie jovially. A moment later, she bounced aside and gestured into the bakery with her hoof. “Come on in – enjoy the party!”

Twilight caught a sidelong glance from Trixie. She offered a smile in response, then politely gestured for Trixie to go first. With another flick of the mane, Trixie limped over the threshold and into the brightly lit bakery. Following her, Twilight threw a quick smile to Pinkie before turning to see how overboard she had gone this time.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. Only about two dozen ponies were milling about the room – either dancing, chatting or helping themselves to the cake and punch atop the confection tables scattered around. Twilight wondered whether Pinkie had finally figured out that inviting the whole town to a party in such a small space was a bad idea. Twilight did a double take as she saw Rarity waving her over from across the room, a welcoming smile on her face.

Naturally, she returned the smile and started towards her friend, but she stopped after a few steps. Casting a look back, she saw that Trixie was caught amidst a small group of ponies, all of whom were bombarding her with welcomes and introductions as she stood, dumbstruck. With a smirk on her face, Twilight decided to leave her to it.

“Good evening, Twilight,” said Rarity daintily as Twilight approached the table at which she and Applejack were standing.

“Hi, girls,” greeted Twilight, smiling at each of them before moving to pour herself a glass of punch from the bowl on the table.

“Gosh, Twi’ – I ain’t never seen ya touch that stuff since, uh…”

“The hot sauce incident?” Twilight offered helpfully. Applejack nodded, and Twilight huffed in response. “I guess it’s just been one of those days.” She lifted the glass and took a sip, half-expecting her mouth to explode from the strength of the flavour, and half not caring whether it did. To her indifferent surprise, it was just normal punch.

“Whatever do you mean by ‘just one of those days’, darling?” asked Rarity, cocking her head a little.

“Oh, it’s just been a little weird, with Trixie, you know…” said Twilight vaguely as she took another sip of her drink.

“I reckon we don’t,” said Applejack matter-of-factly, ladling herself a glass of punch as well. “We ain’t seen hide nor hair of you since Friday. Hay, we wouldn’t even know Trixie was stayin’ with ya if Pinkie Pie hadn’t told us.”

“Really?” wondered Twilight aloud, thinking back over the weekend. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen any of her friends other than Pinkie over the weekend. “Oh,” she grunted. “Well, sorry about that. I guess I’ve been kind of busy.”

Applejack waved a hoof dismissively. “It ain’t nothin’, Sugarcube. Now what were you sayin’ ‘bout things bein’ weird?”

Twilight glanced between her and Rarity, both of whom were now watching her with expectant looks. After a moment under their gaze, she sighed and set her glass down on the table. “Fine. It’s just that Trixie’s been a little… difficult,” she said lamely.

Rarity and Applejack exchanged a quizzical glance. “Define ‘difficult’, darling,” said Rarity with a faint smile.

“Narcissistic, unappreciative, argumentative--” Twilight listed.

“Uh, define ‘difficult’ in regular speak, Twilight,” said Applejack, frowning.

Twilight sighed. “It’s like she's convinced herself that I’m in this for some kind of personal gain,” she said, with a hint of exasperation slipping through in her voice. “She’s so proud that she pushes me away whenever I offer to help, she avoids my questions and loses her temper and…” She paused, thinking back to the conversation she’d had with Trixie just before arriving at the party. “And then she suddenly turns around and acts like a completely different pony. It’s frustrating!”

“Sounds to me like you’re sweet on her,” said Applejack with a huge smirk, before taking a sip of her punch.

Twilight gawped. “A-Applejack!” she moaned, feeling a little flustered all of a sudden.

“Now Applejack, really – you should know better than to tease Twilight,” said Rarity, though she was doing a poor job of hiding her own smile.

Applejack gave a quiet chuckle. “Sorry, Twi’. But speakin’ honestly, I reckon Trixie’s just feelin’ a little down after getting her leg hurt an’ all. She’ll warm up to y’all eventually.”

Twilight scoffed. She’d said the same thing to Spike just two days before, but she was already starting to think that she might have been wrong.

“Quite,” said Rarity with a smile. “And I’m sure that Twilight-- Oh!”

She cut herself off and peered around Twilight, towards the entrance. Turning, Twilight saw Fluttershy trotting across the room towards them, her charming smile half-hidden by her mane. Behind her trotted a rather grumpy-looking Rainbow Dash, who was glancing around as if looking for somepony.

“Ya made it!” said Applejack, offering a smile in greeting.

“Hi, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. “What’s wrong with Rainbow?”

Fluttershy shot a glance behind her, then smiled sheepishly at Twilight. “Oh, she didn’t want to come – because of--”

“Trixie,” Rainbow broke in, flapping her wings as she hopped up to the table and viciously ladled herself a glass of punch. “I mean, why are we throwing a party for that… that…”

“Showpony?” said Pinkie helpfully, appearing beside Rainbow Dash with her typical, cheesy grin. Rainbow scoffed and took a sip of her drink in silence.

“Aw, come on, RD,” said Applejack, a smirk creeping onto her face. “You ain’t still sore about Trixie showin’ you up, are ya?”

“She didn’t show me up!” snapped Rainbow loudly. “She cheated and used her magic to make me look stupid!”

Applejack shrugged. “Same difference.”

“There’s a big difference!” said Rainbow, shooting her an irritated glare. “How would you like it if--”

“Trixie!” said Applejack loudly, looking over Rainbow’s shoulder. “We were just talkin’ ‘bout you!”

All eyes followed Applejack’s to the mare approaching their table. Trixie flicked her mane back with a smirk as she got closer. “Yes, Trixie gets that a lot,” she said proudly.

Rainbow snickered into her glass. “I’ll bet,” she muttered. She went silent when Rarity shot her a dangerous look.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Ahem, Trixie, these are my friends,” she said, waving her hoof around at all of them. “You’ve met Pinkie Pie--”

“Hi!” chirped Pinkie with a playful wave.

“And this is Applejack--”

Applejack tipped her hat. “Howdy.”

“Rarity--”

“Charmed,” said Rarity, flashing a polite smile.

“Fluttershy--”

Fluttershy flinched as Twilight spoke her name. “Um, hello…” she managed quietly, retreating further behind her mane.

“And Rainbow Dash.”

“…”

An awkward sort of silence descended over the table as everyone waited for Rainbow’s greeting. Twilight, quickly realising that it wasn’t coming, cleared her throat and turned to Trixie with a smile. “And everypony, you remember Trixie.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie corrected her.

“Pfft, more like the Great and Powerful Loudmouth,” muttered Rainbow audibly.

“Rainbow Dash!” hissed Rarity in a scolding tone.

“Well, she is!” Rainbow argued hotly.

“If you have something to say to Trixie, then spit it out,” said Trixie, glaring at Rainbow. “Unless you’re afraid, of course,” she added with a smirk.

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed at that. “Yeah, I’ve got somethin’ to say,” she said fiercely, her wings unfurling as she turned to look Trixie in the eye. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming back here after what you pulled.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “And what exactly did Trixie ‘pull’?”

“You know what!” said Rainbow loudly, throwing out a hoof in frustration. “You’re the reason that half of Ponyville was trampled a few weeks back! If you hadn’t come to town, then that Ursa never would’ve showed up!”

“That wasn’t her fault!”

Another silence fell over the table, though this time it was more stunned than awkward. All eyes were on Twilight, but it still took a moment for her to figure out what had happened.

‘Ohmygosh, did I say that out loud?’

* * *

4 - Caring (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter four: Caring

Trixie glanced curiously between Rainbow and Twilight, her mouth forming a little ‘o’ as she watched. Rainbow looked as if Twilight had just banished her favourite puppy to the moon, whilst Twilight’s eyes had gone unnaturally wide – as if her little outburst had shocked even herself.

“Y-You’re taking her side?” stammered Rainbow, her voice squeaking a little with the surprise it held.

Twilight quickly fumbled to form a response. “Uh, w-well, I mean, um--” Her face reddened steadily as she continued to trip over herself. “I-It’s not like Trixie actually meant for that to happen. A-and it was really Snips and Snails who--”

“I don’t believe this!” said Rainbow, her eyes narrowing as she rounded on Twilight. “You’re going to take her word over one of your best friends’?”

“I-I’m not taking anyone’s word!” Twilight argued, leaning forward to counter Rainbow’s glare. “I was there, I saw what happened. So did you! If you just calm down and think about it, there’s really nothing--”

“Calm down?” repeated Rainbow loudly. “I’m calm – I’m totally calm! I just can’t believe that my friends think I’m too mad at Trixie to think straight!”

“Rainbow, nopony thinks that!” tried Twilight desperately.

“Trixie does,” Trixie chimed in.

“Not helping!” snapped Twilight, shooting her a quick glare.

“Y’know what? Forget this!” said Rainbow, rearing up and throwing out her hooves in exasperation. “You girls can stay and hang out with your new buddy Trixie – I’m going home!” With that, Rainbow kicked off from the ground and flapped off towards the exit, leaving the group once again in stunned silence. She stopped in the doorway and looked back. “Fluttershy, you coming or what?” she asked aggressively.

Eyes widening as she was addressed, Fluttershy looked to Rainbow and opened her mouth to respond. After a moment, she closed it again and offered a faint, forced smile to the others as she followed Rainbow to the door. Twilight looked as if she desperately wanted to say something to stop them, but her mouth was refusing to let the words escape.

Trixie, like many of the other now-silent party-goers, watched Rainbow and Fluttershy disappear out the door. With them gone, all eyes turned back to Twilight and Trixie’s group.

“Come on y’all, nothin’ to see here,” said Applejack suddenly, stepping forwards to smile at their audience. “Let’s all get back to the party, y’hear?” For a moment, she was met only with silence and a few odd looks. Then, the other party-goers offered shrugs or smiles in response and went back to whatever they were doing before. Applejack turned back to her friends and breathed a sigh. “Well, that happened…” she said awkwardly. “You okay there, Twi’?”

“Want a cupcake?” said Pinkie randomly.

Twilight looked far from ‘okay’. She was staring down at the table with a look of utter devastation on her face. “What did I do?” she muttered, eyes unblinking.

“Oh darling, you didn’t do anything!” Rarity assured her, stepping closer and laying a hoof on Twilight’s back. “It was just a little… misunderstanding. I’m sure that Rainbow Dash will be quite alright.”

“Yeah, I bet she’ll be back to her regular self in the mornin’,” Applejack added with a kind smile. As soon as the words left her mouth, she frowned thoughtfully. “Although, it does seem a might strange for her to, uh--”

“Flip out?” Pinkie offered helpfully, throwing Applejack a grin.

“Uh, yeah, that,” Applejack agreed uncertainly.

“Oh, I expect she’s just tired – what with all the extra work she’s been taking on lately,” said Rarity.

Trixie watched with mild interest as Twilight’s three friends spent the next few minutes trying to console her. Personally, Trixie didn’t see the big deal – it seemed almost as if Twilight had never gotten into an argument before. Although, she had gotten into this one on Trixie’s behalf, and Trixie felt as if she should say something.

“Twilight, I--”

“Ohmygosh!” Pinkie interrupted loudly. “I almost forgot the cake!”

“Cake?” Trixie repeated with interest, her mind suddenly going off at a tangent. Pinkie Pie zipped off, disappearing into the crowd as the others either exchanged seriously questioning glances or breathed tired sighs.

“Cake, everypony!” came a yell from the centre of the room, barely a few seconds later. All eyes turned to see Pinkie Pie standing beside a pink-sheeted table, upon which was the most Great and Powerful cake that Trixie had ever laid eyes on. It was three layers tall, smothered in blue and silver icing – matching the colour of Trixie’s coat and mane perfectly. Around the edges, there were eight large, decorative candies – each shaped to look identical to the carved moonstone clasp that adorned her cape. It was actually sort of mesmerizing to look at…

“Hey, wait!”

The voice snapped Trixie back to her senses. She blinked in surprise as she found herself stood next to the cake, her muzzle merely inches from the delicious-smelling frosting. Looking around, she saw that many of the other party guests found themselves in similar situations, though Pinkie was gesturing for them to move back. Then she turned to smile at Trixie. “Trixie gets to cut the first slice,” she declared cheerily.

Trixie gave an approving grunt and drew her muzzle into a smirk as she looked around at their impatient faces. She magically lifted a knife from the table and held it above the cake, where she hesitated. It was almost a shame to ruin such a work of Trixie-coloured art, but there was no doubt in her mind that it would taste as delectable as it looked.

She drew the knife down through the thick layers of cake, cutting herself a generous slice. Many of the party guests watched with drool dripping from their mouths as Trixie lifted the slice into the air. But just as she went to take the first bite, there was a flash of pink, a rush of air, and the cake was gone.

“Hey!” she snapped, rounding on Pinkie, who had stolen the slice away to the table at which her friends were sitting.

“Here ya go, Twilight!” Pinkie declared, kneeling down so that the slice of cake on her head was at Twilight’s eye level. Twilight finally looked up from the table, as if snapped out of a trance, and eyed the cake curiously. Trixie made to object as Twilight took the cake in her own magic, but something made her hold her tongue for a moment.

Twilight bit down on the cake, to gasps from the audience she was obviously unaware of. For a moment, she just chewed in silence whilst Trixie was too stunned to argue. And then Twilight smiled – her cheeks still bulging with cake. It was the smallest, goofiest smile that Trixie had ever seen, and yet somehow it had the power to make her bite her tongue.

“Woohoo! She likes it! Okay everypony, dig in!”

Trixie only vaguely acknowledged the scuffling of hooves as she stood there, watching Twilight’s unfairly adorable smile as she took another bite of the cake slice. Of Trixie’s cake slice… ‘Say something!’ she willed herself. But no words came to her.

It wasn’t until Twilight looked up to meet Trixie’s eyes that she managed to snap out of her stupor. Barely managing an indignant “Hmph”, Trixie broke her stare and turned towards the cake table again, finding it surrounded by a throng of ponies. Pushing her way through the crowd, she soon came to the table, only to see that it had already been looted. A few meagre crumbs and a frosting-covered knife – which looked as if somepony had already tried to lick it clean – were all that remained of the cake.

“Oh-- Whatever!” huffed Trixie resignedly.

* * *

The rest of the party didn’t turn out to be quite as exciting or Trixie-centric as Trixie had hoped. Twilight seemed to cheer up a little, but whether that cheer was genuine or just for the sake of her friends, Trixie didn’t know. Not that Trixie cared of course – Twilight was just a cake-stealing, magical know-it-all!

Trixie blinked in surprise as that line of thought crossed her mind. ‘Where did that come from?’ she wondered.

“…Sorry girls, but I really should get going now. It’s getting late.”

“Aw, but Twilight--”

Trixie turned towards the voices and saw Twilight offering an apologetic smile to Pinkie Pie, who was wearing an exaggerated pouty face.

“I promise I’ll stay longer at the next party, okay?” Twilight negotiated.

Pinkie huffed and hung her head a little. “Okay,” she conceded. Her frown lasted barely a second before she gave Twilight’s neck a playful nuzzle and bounced off to rejoin her party guests.

Twilight turned and bade goodnight to her other two friends before heading towards the door. For a moment, Trixie thought that she was going to leave without a word, but she came to a sudden stop about half way across the room. Trixie was quick enough to avert her gaze and pretend to be interested in something on the far side of the room as Twilight’s hoofsteps started towards her.

“Um, Trixie?” said Twilight. Trixie turned to her with a casual grunt, as if she’d just noticed her approach. “I’m… going home now,” she said simply.

Trixie was tempted to say ‘Goodnight’ and leave it at that, but as she stared at Twilight’s half-expectant expression, she paused to think. When she did think about it, she didn’t actually remember the way back to the library – it would be pretty difficult to get back there on her own, in the dark no less.

“Alright,” said Trixie, to Twilight’s apparent surprise. “Trixie will be out in a minute.”

“O-Oh, right,” stammered Twilight. “Well, I’ll wait outside then.” With a quizzical smile, Twilight turned on the spot and trotted off across the room. Trixie watched her until she disappeared through the bakery’s door, then breathed a heavy sigh.

“…‘scuse us,” came an accented voice from Trixie’s left. She looked around to see Applejack and Rarity standing there with faint smiles on their faces.

“Yes? What do you want?” said Trixie tiredly.

“Oh, nothing really,” said Rarity in a casual tone. “We just wanted to ask how you were… settling in.”

“Settling in?” Trixie repeated in question.

Rarity and Applejack glanced at each other, then Applejack took a step forward. “Well, we were wonderin’ how you were gettin’ along with Twilight – we didn’t exactly talk about it much this evenin’.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes. “What exactly are you getting at?” she said accusingly.

Rarity stepped forwards next. “It’s just that we thought you might be feeling a little jealous,” she said frankly.

Trixie felt her face flush at the sudden accusation that was so close to the mark. “J-Jealous?!” she exclaimed, trying to make it sound as if such a thought was ridiculous. “What could the Great and Powerful Trixie possibly have to be jealous of?”

“Well, ya got to admit – the way she took care of that Ursa was mighty impressive,” said Applejack. “I bet she made ya feel a little silly, huh?”

Trixie scoffed. “Of course not! Trixie knows that Twilight Sparkle could never have done that if Trixie hadn’t weakened the Ursa first.”

“Weakened it?” repeated Applejack sceptically.

“Yes.”

Rarity and Applejack glanced at each other again. “So… you and Twilight are getting along well then?” asked Rarity with her brow furrowed in confusion.

“That’s right,” Trixie found herself saying. “For your information, Trixie and Twilight Sparkle are getting along very well. Shows what you know,” she added spitefully.

“Oh… well--” began Rarity, the beginnings of an uncertain smile on her face.

“That’s, uh--”

“Yes, yes,” said Trixie dismissively, deciding to take advantage of her small victory while she could. “Now, if you don’t mind, Trixie is leaving to walk Twilight Sparkle home. Good night.”

The pair of them offered uncertain goodbyes as Trixie limped away from them, towards the door. Her face still felt a little hot after that little conversation. ‘Is it really that obvious that I’m jealous of Twilight Sparkle?’ she wondered with a frown. If that was the case, then she would have to be more careful – she had a reputation to protect, after all. But would that still be possible after she did what she’d come back to do?

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she stepped outside into the night air and saw Twilight Sparkle waiting for her beside the door. She looked up at Trixie with a smile. “Ready to go?” she asked warmly.

Trixie opened her mouth to respond and once again found herself shutting it without a word. She gave a quick nod, which seemed enough to satisfy Twilight Sparkle. The two of them started off down the trail, Twilight slowing down enough for Trixie to keep pace with her.

“So, uh, did you enjoy the party?” asked Twilight sheepishly.

“Trixie has been to better--” She paused to give a huffy little grunt. “Trixie didn’t even get any cake…”

Twilight gave a little giggle at that. Trixie turned to glare at her questioningly. “I thought that might happen,” said Twilight with a smile. She gave her horn a little flick and a small something, neatly-wrapped up in a napkin, appeared in front of her. Trixie watched curiously as Twilight magically unwrapped the object, revealing the larger half of the cake slice that she had been eating earlier. “Here, I saved some for you.”

“Oh,” said Trixie, a little taken aback. “That was… generous of you.” Twilight simply gave a little smile and waited for Trixie to take the cake from her. Slowly, Trixie reached out with her magic and grasped hold of the cake. She felt an electric prickle in her horn as her magic crossed with Twilight’s, but it stopped as soon as Twilight let go.

Trixie eyed the cake for a moment, then leant forwards to take a bite. She slowed down a little to revel in creamy taste, with a hint of mint – she could definitely see why it had cheered Twilight up. But that made it even harder to figure out why she had saved some for Trixie…

Finding herself staring thoughtfully at Twilight again, Trixie chose not to look away this time. Twilight half-turned to meet her eye and gave an uncertain smile. “What?” she asked curiously.

“Back at the party,” Trixie began, thinking back to when she’d met Twilight’s friends. “Who was that colourful pony?”

Twilight’s eyes widened in comprehension, then she breathed a heavy sigh and hung her head. “Rainbow Dash. Like I said, she’s one of my best friends. Or, at least, she was… we’ve never fallen out like that before.”

“Then why did you take Trixie’s side?” asked Trixie with a furrowed brow, starting to understand less and less about Twilight every second the conversation went on.

“I didn’t take anyone’s side!” said Twilight, her voice rising a little. After a moment, she calmed down with a huff. “I just-- I don’t know,” she admitted. “It slipped out.”

“Trixie… sees,” she said awkwardly, though that wasn’t exactly true. Twilight Sparkle certainly was a strange unicorn…

The two of them said nothing more as they made their steady way down the trail. It wasn’t long at all before they came to the door of the library and Twilight magically opened it to let them in. It was a lot warmer inside, and Trixie saw Twilight’s mouth twist into a smile as she looked over the neatly stacked bookshelves around them – apparently glad to be home.

“Well, I don’t know about you, Trixie, but I’m exhausted,” said Twilight as she strode into the centre of the room. “I think I’m going to make myself some tea and then get some sleep. Would you like some?”

Trixie shook her head and started towards the stairs. “Actually, Trixie is going straight to bed,” she said decidedly. If she was honest, walking on three legs was starting to get a little difficult and she couldn’t wait to finally get the chance to lay down and relax – but of course she wouldn’t tell Twilight that.

“Oh, alright. Goodnight then,” said Twilight, offering one last smile as she set off for the kitchen.

“Goodnight, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie offered without thinking. Luckily, she was already tired enough that her voice sounded strained… at least, she hoped so.

Trixie made her steady way up the stairs, smiling at the thought of curling up in bed. But, as she was just about to turn into the stairwell proper, Twilight called out to her.

“Hey, Trixie?”

Turning on the spot, Trixie furrowed her brow at Twilight, who was looking up at her from the kitchen door.

“Thanks for letting me walk you home,” said Twilight, offering an honest smile.

Trixie felt a little twinge in the back of her mind, but she didn’t have time to figure out what it was. She cleared her throat. “Actually, it was Trixie who walked you home, Twilight Sparkle,” she said haughtily, turning her nose up with a little smirk.

Twilight gave another little giggle. “Right. Well, thank you,” she repeated with another smile.

Trixie turned again to make her way around the corner and out of sight. As she continued the climb to her room, she allowed herself a little smile of her own.

* * *

The night held no dreams or surprises for Trixie, and the following morning saw her wake with a bearable – but nonetheless annoying – ache in her legs. She gave an irritated groan as she rolled out of bed and steadied herself on three hooves, before glancing over at the cape folded neatly on her bedside tree stump. A moment later, she decided to leave it there for now – she wasn’t quite feeling up to being Great and Powerful this early on a Monday.

‘I need a mirror,’ she thought idly as she pulled open the door with magic and stepped out onto the landing. She descended the stairs in a kind of lazy trance, vaguely pondering the source of the rhythmic tapping noise coming from below. When she came out into the lobby proper, her half-lidded eyes found their way to the purple unicorn pacing around the floor – Twilight's mane looked just as bedraggled as Trixie's felt.

“Looking for a mirror?” Trixie teased, smirking as she descended the last few steps. Twilight Sparkle didn't seem to register Trixie's voice – she just kept rounding the room in a great circle. Trixie came to a stop in the middle of the room and furrowed her brow at Twilight. “...Are you sleepwalking?” she mused aloud.

Twilight Sparkle glanced up at her very briefly. “Oh, hi Trixie,” she muttered, before going back to her rounds. “Sleep well?”

“Well enough,” said Trixie distractedly. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” said Twilight, even as she completed another lap. “Just thinking.”

“What--” Trixie began, but she promptly shook her head and decided it was too early. “Whatever. Trixie is hungry,” she said abruptly. Twilight merely grunted in acknowledgement. With a huff, Trixie turned in place and headed for the kitchen.

Like the rest of the library, it was eerily clean – surfaces polished to a shine and utensils all hung or stacked in order of size. Trixie rolled her eyes at the sight, wondering how anypony could be so obsessively tidy.

“I know, right?” came a coltish voice from Trixie's left. She gave a start as she caught sight of the vaguely familiar purple-green dog-thing walking across the room before her, clad in a flowery apron and holding a wooden spoon. “She makes me tidy this three times a day,” it grumbled.

“A-And you are?” said Trixie accusingly, trying to hide her surprise.

The creature came to a stop and met Trixie's eye. “I'm Spike!” he reported proudly, thrusting a claw towards his chest. “Personal, number one assistant to Twilight Sparkle! And I already know who you are...” he added with an obvious hint of dislike in his voice.

“W-Well of course!” said Trixie, flicking back her mane and pretending not to notice his rudeness. “Everypony knows the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“Uh huh,” grunted Spike with disinterest, continuing across the room and clambering up onto a stool beside the kitchen sink. “I've got to get back to making breakfast, since Twilight is... being Twilight. So, if you don't mind...”

Trixie glared at him for a moment before an idea struck her. “No, Trixie doesn't mind. Be a good little assistant and make Trixie some pancakes, will you?” With that, she turned to head back into the lobby. Spike grumbled something, but Trixie could only make out '--as bad as Twilight...' before she got out of earshot.

Twilight Sparkle was still pacing around in a circle, looking more and more anxious by the second. Trixie did her utmost to ignore her, climbing up to sit on a stool beside one of the reading tables and magically grabbing a random book from the nearest shelf to keep herself busy.

Barely a minute had passed before the constant clopping of Twilight's hooves against the wood had driven Trixie to her wit's end. “Do you mind?” she snapped, a little more aggressively than she'd intended.

“Huh?” Twilight grunted vaguely. “No, go ahead.”

Trixie rolled her eyes again. “Twilight Sparkle,” she called out clearly. That got Twilight's attention – she stopped pacing to offer Trixie a questioning smile. “You're wearing a hole in the floor,” said Trixie plainly.

Twilight glanced down at her hooves, then huffed. “Sorry...”

“What could possibly have the Great Twilight Sparkle so nervous?” Trixie asked, a little scornfully.

“Nervous?” repeated Twilight in question. “Oh, I'm not really nervous, it's just--” She broke off and took a sudden interest in the far wall. “It's nothing.”

“Fine,” said Trixie, a little disappointed for not getting a real answer. “Then will you please stop pacing? It's driving Trixie insane!”

“Right, sorry,” said Twilight, trotting over to join Trixie at the table.

“And--”

“I know – 'stop apologising',” Twilight interrupted with a half-honest smile as she took a seat on the stool opposite Trixie. Offering only a grunt in response, Trixie turned back to her book – which was, to be honest, entirely uninteresting. Not to mention that it wasn't exactly easy to read with Twilight Sparkle sat across from her like she was.

After what felt like forever spent waiting for Spike to finish breakfast, Trixie could finally tolerate Twilight's pouty face no more. She closed her book with a huff, dropped her forehoof on the table and stared across at Twilight. It took a moment for Twilight to notice, at which point she furrowed her brow at Trixie. “What?”

“Is this about your friend?” Trixie asked bluntly.

“Y-You mean Rainbow Dash?” she stammered, stirring a little atop the stool. “I... yeah, I guess it is...” She trailed off into a mutter and looked down at the table with a frown.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Trixie doesn't see why you're so worked up about it. She'll get over it eventually.”

Twilight furrowed her brow at Trixie. “Over what?” she asked.

“Her jealousy of Trixie,” Trixie clarified with a flick of the mane. “It's really quite common.”

It was Twilight's turn to roll her eyes. “Are you always this full of yourself?” she asked flatly, the hint of an accusation in her voice. Trixie's eyes widened at the sudden directness as Twilight went on. “Rainbow's just mad at you because you made her look bad in front of all those ponies--”

“That's jealousy!” Trixie retorted. She wasn't quite sure why she said it, perhaps she was just arguing for the sake of arguing...

“No, it's not,” said Twilight, her cheeks flushing a little as she shook her head. “It's her way of telling you that you were being a jerk!”

Trixie gawped, taken aback by the outburst. Twilight Sparkle seemed to be a little shocked herself, though she was forcing herself to maintain the glare she held upon Trixie.

“O-Oh, really?” snapped Trixie after regaining her senses. She felt her own face starting to grow hot too. “Well doesn't that make you a jerk too? After all, you did do exactly the same thing to Trixie!”

“What?!” Twilight snapped. “That's what you think?!”

“Yes, that's what I think!” Trixie almost shouted.

“Breakfast!” sang Spike, coming out of the kitchen with two trays balanced on his claws.

“Not now!” Twilight and Trixie yelled together. He promptly zipped back into the kitchen with a frightened look on his face.

Twilight glared at Trixie with obvious enmity. “Trixie, I only used my magic to protect my friends – I did what I had to! You, on the other hoof, used your magic to sabotage Rainbow Dash and make yourself look better!”

“Y-You still made Trixie look bad!” retorted Trixie desperately, though she knew it was a weak argument.

“No, Trixie – you're the one who did that!” said Twilight, thrusting a hoof towards her. “--When you just stormed out of town like you did! If you'd just stayed to apologise and explain--”

“Apologise?” Trixie interrupted. “I thought you said it wasn't my fault!”

“Not for damaging the town, for hurting my friends' feelings!” Twilight clarified loudly.

That word was slow to settle over the lobby, and the silence that ensued saw Trixie's glare recede a little out of surprise. Surprise, and a little pang of guilt that wrenched at her chest.

“Trixie... hurt them?” said Trixie in a subdued tone.

Twilight's own expression seemed to soften as she took in Trixie's words. After a moment, all that remained of her glower was the frown – coupled with a pair of melancholy eyes.

“Yes,” said Twilight with a vague nod. “And you hurt me too, Trixie.”

“Why do you care so much?” Trixie found herself asking. She'd meant it to come out as an accusation, but quickly found that she just didn't have the energy.

Twilight looked down at the table in thought for a moment before she met Trixie's gaze again. “Because they're my friends,” she said earnestly. “And I love them. Surely you understand that?”

To be honest, Trixie didn't understand. The word 'friend' was one she hadn't really used in a long time. There was only one pony for whom she cared so, and He was hardly a friend. This seemed to be another oddity of Twilight Sparkle's – and that, along with the uncertain undertone in Twilight's voice, told Trixie that there might be something more to this.

“Is that all it is?” Trixie asked suspiciously, making sure to keep her voice at a reasonable level.

Twilight furrowed her brow for a moment in a question that she quickly dismissed. With a nod and a faint smile, Twilight confirmed. “Yes - it is, I promise,” she said, this time with certainty. Trixie frowned at her for a little longer, before deciding that she was content to settle for that answer – for now, at least…

* * *

5 - Cluelessness (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter five: Cluelessness

The silence that settled over the library lasted for a long while. Spike soon emerged from the kitchen – albeit hesitantly – with the two plates of pancakes, setting them down on the table to a quiet 'thank you' from Twilight, before hurrying off to clean something upstairs.

As the two of them wordlessly tucked into their food, Twilight couldn't help but wonder what was going through Trixie's head right then. To be honest, she wasn't sure what was going through her own head...

She couldn’t remember how many times she'd lost her temper with Trixie since the hospital tent – and she was still no closer to figuring out why it kept happening. She refused to believe that Trixie was just that difficult to get along with – it had to be something else. Maybe the stress of the last few days was just getting to her? Yes, that had to be it...

Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, Twilight turned back to pretend interest in her own breakfast. She still cast the occasional glance over at Trixie, but she forced herself to keep quiet until the last of the pancakes had disappeared from their plates. Offering Trixie a smile, Twilight got to her hooves, gathered up the utensils with her magic and carried them out to the kitchen.

As she placed them into the sink and turned on the tap, something outside the open window caught her eye. A mutli-chrome blur shot across the sky in a zigzag, bouncing between the clouds like a chaotic pinball as it cleared a path for the blue horizon to shine through. Twilight frowned sadly as she watched it – her falling out with Rainbow Dash coming back to the forefront of her mind.

Rainbow rounded on another cloud and bucked it out of existence with extreme prejudice. “She is still mad,” muttered Twilight dejectedly. “And it's all my fault...” Twilight followed with her eyes as Rainbow finished her rounds, leaving only a single cloud, upon which she alighted before disappearing from sight. Twilight let out a pouty sigh. “I have to do something!” she told herself.

Gazing idly towards the cloud, Twilight racked her brain for the solution. There had to be some kind of practice or ritual that she hadn't considered yet – something that could make her and Rainbow 'alright' again...

“You should go and talk to her,” came another voice. Twilight jumped back with a yelp as a pink and yellow fluffy-thing rose up outside her window. “Ohmygosh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you,” said Fluttershy, retreating behind her mane a little.

“F-Fluttershy?” breathed Twilight. “What're you doing down there?”

“Oh, I was, um, coming to see you – to talk about--” Fluttershy paused and glanced over her shoulder at the lone cloud in the sky. “—Rainbow Dash,” she whispered. “...But then I realised that I wasn't sure what I was going to say, so I just sat down out here to think for a minute... o-or ten... and then I heard you talking just now and I thought you might be talking to me. But I guess you weren't...”

Twilight kept her brow furrowed for a long moment after Fluttershy finished her explanation. Fluttershy gave a frightened 'mewl' and backed up a bit, which snapped Twilight out of her daze. “Uh, right, okay,” said Twilight quickly. “So... what were you coming to talk to me about?”

“R-Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy repeated. “Last night, she... well, she didn't mean to get angry. She was just a little bit upset, but it's not your fault, really.”

“Really?” said Twilight. “D-Did you talk to her after the party?”

Fluttershy gave a little nod. “Yes. Well, I listened mostly, but... I probably shouldn't talk about it...”

“Why not?” said Twilight, furrowing her brow.

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves and frowned. After a moment, she managed to shake her head. “I... I'm sorry, I can't. Please don't be angry with me...”

“Fluttershy, I couldn't be angry with you!” said Twilight, taking an empathetic step forwards – only to bounce off of the kitchen unit in front of her. She snarled at the unit before shutting her eyes and focusing on a spot outside the window as she channelled magic into her horn.

With a flash of light, Twilight appeared beside Fluttershy, who gave an eep in surprise. Twilight offered a reassuring smile. “You don't have to tell me,” she said gently. “It's just... are you sure that Rainbow will talk to me?”

“P-Probably?” said Fluttershy. “But I think you should try anyway. Unless you don't want to...”

Twilight sighed. “Of course I want to...” She paused a moment to think about it, then looked up at Fluttershy with a smile. “Yes, you're right. She's my friend, she'll talk to me!”

“R-Right!” said Fluttershy.

“And if she won't, then I'll make her talk to me!” said Twilight with conviction.

“Um, pardon?”

“Thanks, Fluttershy! I'll go right now, I just have to let Spike know I'm going out.” With that, Twilight visualised the kitchen in her mind's eye and teleported herself back inside.

“Oh, um, y-you're welcome!” Fluttershy called after her. “Good luck...”

Feeling renewed, Twilight took a powerful stride towards the door to the lobby…

Splash.

Furrowing her brow, Twilight looked down to see that the floor was hoof-deep in water from the sink. With a heavy sigh, she magically switched off the tap before calling upstairs. “Spike – I broke the kitchen again!”

His groan carried all the way down from the attic.

Grasping a hoof-towel with her magic, Twilight stepped out into the lobby, where Trixie, still sat at the breakfast table, gave her a questioning look as she started drying her hooves one-by-one.

“What's going on?” Trixie asked. “And why are you dripping?”

Twilight gave a nervous little chuckle in response as Spike came stomping down the stairs. “Thanks, Spike,” she said with a smile. “And I'm also going out for a while, so keep an eye on Trixie for me, okay?”

“Yes, master,” Spike grunted unemotionally as he walked past into the soaked kitchen. Twilight flashed one last smile at the back of his head before turning to the door.

“I'll be back soon, you two!” she called over her shoulder.

“Wait!” said Trixie. “Where are you going?”

Twilight turned around to smile at her. “Just to see Rainbow Dash – we have to have a talk.”

“A talk?” Trixie repeated, furrowing her brow. Twilight nodded. “...Can Trixie come?”

“Can-- What?” said Twilight, having to shake herself to register Trixie’s question. Trixie simply looked at her expectantly. “Uh, I guess you could walk me there...” said Twilight. “But why?”

Trixie glanced to the side. “Trixie... wants to stretch her legs. Is that a problem?” she added with a dangerous glower.

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Um, no... If that's all you want then I won't stop you coming along. But it might be kind of hard to talk to Rainbow Dash with you there... no offence.”

“Trixie will keep her distance,” said Trixie, getting to her hooves. “But before we go, can Trixie borrow your hairbrush and mirror again?”

Twilight opened her mouth to argue further, but it was obvious that Trixie's mind was made up. “Okay, sure,” she sighed resignedly.

* * *

Twilight ran her hoof through her mane compulsively as she stood beneath Rainbow’s cloud, which had come to rest just over the bridge leading out towards Fluttershy’s cottage and the Everfree. She chanced a look at Trixie, who simply cocked her head as if to say ‘What now?’

Clearing her throat again, Twilight turned to call up to the cloud. “Rainbow Dash, are you up there?”

The cloud shuffled a little and Rainbow poked her nose out over the side. As soon as her eyes fell upon Twilight, she gave a huff and rolled back over. “What do you want?” she spat.

“I just want to talk,” called Twilight.

Rainbow scoffed. “I’m not saying anything with her here,” she said, throwing a hoof out to the side.

Twilight turned to frown at Trixie. “Sorry, but would you mind--”

“Trixie will go and stand over there,” Trixie interrupted. Without further comment, she limped away to stand beside a nearby bench and pretend to look around at the scenery, though Twilight suspected that she was still listening intently. All the same, Twilight gave her a grateful nod before she looked back up to the cloud.

Rainbow poked her head out again and glanced between Twilight and Trixie. Apparently satisfied, she rolled off of the cloud and flapped her wings lazily, carrying herself down to alight in front of Twilight. “Alright, egghead – let’s talk,” she said levelly.

Twilight offered a weak smile. “Thank you,” she muttered. “It’s about yesterday…”

“About you stabbing me in the back, you mean?” snapped Rainbow. “You come to apologize?”

Twilight took a step back from the fire in Rainbow’s voice. “T-That’s not it at all! I didn’t mean--”

“No, I get it,” Rainbow interrupted, casting a baleful look at Trixie. “You chose her over me – not really much to talk about, is there?”

“Chose her?” said Twilight. “When did you get so melodramatic?”

“W-What? Now you’re making fun of me?!”

“No! Just--” Twilight huffed. “Would you just listen for a minute?”

Rainbow dropped back onto her haunches and folded her forehooves seriously. “Fine. Listening.”

Twilight automatically opened her mouth to argue, only to close it again when she registered Rainbow’s answer. “R-Right,” she said, trying to refocus herself. “Look, I am sorry that what I said yesterday upset you – I didn’t mean for it to come out like it did…”

Rainbow rolled her eyes before bringing them to rest on the grass, but her expression seemed to soften a little.

Twilight glanced over at Trixie. “But I still meant what I said,” she continued. “Do you really blame Trixie for what happened? Or is it something else?”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide all of a sudden. She looked up at Twilight with an exaggerated expression. “Something else? Like what? What’re you talking about?”

With a knowing smile, Twilight took a step closer to Rainbow. “I think you know.”

Rainbow’s head drooped. “How much did Fluttershy tell you?” she sighed.

“She told me enough,” said Twilight.

Rainbow shook her head and closed her eyes. “Ah, look, Twilight…”

“I understand, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight broke in. “But you need to listen to me.” Rainbow looked up pleadingly as Twilight laid a hoof on her shoulder. “I know you’re mad at Trixie for what she did before, and I agree with you.”

Rainbow furrowed her brow. “Wait, what?”

Twilight lowered her voice. “But she doesn’t know you like I do – she doesn’t know how much looking cool means to you. And she didn’t know her little ‘performance’ would hurt your feelings.”

“Oh, right,” said Rainbow. A shadow seemed to dance across her face as she glanced down at the ground again. “So, you’re still defending her?”

“No,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “I’m saying that you need to try and give her a break. If you keep treating her like you did last night, she’s just going to think you’re a jerk – and that’s going to make it a lot harder for her to warm up to you… to all of us.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Do I look like I care whether she ‘warms up’ to you or not? Go, be her friend, doesn’t matter to me.” If the poorly-masked look of hurt on her face was any indication, nothing could be further from the truth. Twilight took her hoof back and turned her lip up in thought. There had to be something she could say or do to make Rainbow see…

An eagle shot overhead. Twilight watched it soar into the distance and settle somewhere near Fluttershy’s cottage. Her mouth fell open a little as she tried to make sense of the spectacle. And then it hit her.

Leaning in close, she tried to catch Rainbow’s eye. “Rainbow Dash,” she began levelly. “This isn’t how I thought my old friends would treat my new friends.”

Rainbow gasped and drew back, looking at Twilight as if she’d just spoken a terrible swear. “H-How could you say that?!” she said, colour rising into her cheeks. “I’m not like her!”

Truth be told, Twilight felt extremely guilty to have said it – Rainbow was nothing like Gilda, after all – but she knew it had to be done. Just about managing to keep herself composed, Twilight offered what she hoped was her kindest smile. “No, Rainbow – you’re not.”

Rainbow Dash regarded her with a furrowed brow, mouth moving slightly as she worked it over in her head. Twilight just kept up the smile until Rainbow finally cast her eyes down to the ground and sighed.

“…Fine, okay, I get it,” said Rainbow. “I’ll… I’ll take it easy on her, alright? Just stop looking at me like that.”

Unable to contain herself, Twilight practically beamed as she leapt forward to pull her friend into a hug. Rainbow stammered for a moment before huffing and reluctantly sliding a hoof around Twilight’s back.

“Thank you,” said Twilight. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

Rainbow said nothing, but she shifted her head a little. Twilight took that as confirmation that she’d heard. Strangely though, Rainbow didn’t seem to be making her usual attempts to escape the hug. Even more strangely, Twilight could’ve sworn that she heard Rainbow sniffle.

“Rainbow Dash… are you crying?” she breathed in awe.

“W-What?!” said Rainbow immediately, as if snapped out of a daze. “N-No, I’m good!” She pulled back and rose to her hooves, offering Twilight a toothy but confident smile as she did. Her eyes certainly didn’t look tearful, and Twilight briefly wondered why she’d expected anything different – this was Rainbow Dash, after all.

“Right, sorry,” said Twilight, returning the smile. “So… are we okay?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and took a step forward. “Twilight, we were always okay--” She cast a look over towards Trixie. “But… yeah.” The two of them exchanged one last smile before Rainbow rolled her neck restlessly. “So, yeah – I’d better get going before ponies start thinking I’ve lost my cool and gone all sappy. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

Twilight nodded as Rainbow kicked off from the ground and started towards the sky. “Hey, Rainbow,” she called after her.

Rainbow looked over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“You’ll always be cool to me,” she said with a friendly grin.

Rainbow scoffed and shook her head, but Twilight saw a hint of red creeping into her cheeks all the same. “W-Whatever. Egghead!” With that, she turned and rocketed off into the sky, leaving Twilight chuckling behind her.

‘Egghead… what does that mean’? Twilight wondered lightly as she watched Rainbow disappear into the distance. ‘I’ll look it up later.’ Smiling, she turned towards the bench across the way – where Trixie was stood, staring at her. Twilight trotted over to meet her with a cheery bounce in her step.

She slowed down as she neared Trixie, noticing the questioning frown on her face. “Everything okay, Trixie?” asked Twilight.

Trixie eyed her for a moment longer. “Trixie thinks it’s about time she got an explanation, Twilight Sparkle,” she said.

Twilight furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“That’s the second time you’ve stuck up for Trixie against your friend. Why?”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, though she wasn’t quite sure what to say. “I-I don’t want anything in return, if that’s what you mean…”

Trixie furrowed her own brow. “You said that before…” she muttered. “So, you’re just being randomly kind?”

“Well… yeah,” said Twilight with a shrug. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes!” Trixie snapped. “It doesn’t make sense!”

“You’re telling me that you’ve never done anything nice for somepony, just because you felt like it?” Twilight countered. Trixie’s face seemed to go blank all of a sudden – as if she’d been caught up in her thoughts. Twilight gave her a moment before cocking her head to the side. “Uh, Trixie?”

Trixie shook herself out of the daze. “N-No! Not really… and especially not for a complete stranger!” she added quickly.

“You’re not a stranger, Trixie,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “You’re a pony who needs a helping hoof, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

Trixie turned to one side and stared at the ground. “…Trixie will never understand you, Twilight Sparkle,” she said resignedly.

Twilight threw her a smile. “Maybe you would if you got to know me,” she offered in a mock thoughtful voice. Trixie looked up at her with one of her softer glares. “I might surprise you,” Twilight added.

Trixie scoffed. “Nothing surprises Tri--”

“Surprise!” yelled Pinkie Pie, jumping up from behind the bench. Trixie rose up onto her hind legs and gave a Great and Powerful whinny before toppling over onto her side. Twilight Sparkle could only gawp as Pinkie fell to the ground, giggling so wildly that she had to hold her sides whilst Trixie blushed bright red.

“I-I got you!” laughed Pinkie. “Y-You should’ve seen your face! Ahaha – I knew I could do it!”

“S-Stop laughing, that wasn’t funny!” snapped Trixie. She flailed her good forehoof around, trying to push herself upright again. It looked extremely awkward to say the least…

Pinkie Pie seemed too paralysed by her laughter to notice Trixie’s predicament so, with a huff, Twilight held out a hoof to Trixie. Trixie stopped struggling and stared at it for a moment, before turning to glower at Twilight.

“Unless you’d rather stay down there,” said Twilight sarcastically.

Trixie regarded her in silence for a moment. “…Fine,” she said at last, reaching out to grasp Twilight’s hoof. With a smile, Twilight helped Trixie upright. Something stopped her from breaking contact right away, and she found herself staring into Trixie’s eyes for a moment. There was something… ‘different’ about them. ‘Different how’, Twilight had no idea, though she couldn’t help but wonder…

“What?” said Trixie indignantly. Twilight blinked as Trixie wrested herself from her grip and resettled on her own weight.

“Uh, n-nothing!” said Twilight with a toothy smile. “Just thinking.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow before shrugging it off and turning to face the still snickering Pinkie Pie. “That wasn’t fair – Trixie wasn’t ready!”

Pinkie bounced to her hooves with a giggle-snort. “That’s why it’s called a surprise, silly!”

“W-Well, don’t you have better things to do than jump out at ponies?” snapped Trixie.

“Nope,” said Pinkie, beaming from ear to ear.

Trixie deflated a little. “Oh.”

Twilight sighed.

“Oh wait! I remember now!” Pinkie blurted out. She bounced forwards to touch snouts with Twilight. “Have you seen Rainbow Dash?”

“Uh, yeah – she went that way,” said Twilight, pointing Pinkie in the vague direction. “You just missed her--”

“Thanks!” chirped Pinkie. Without another word, she bounced off in typical Pinkie fashion. Twilight and Trixie watched her go, the latter still gawping in confusion.

With a shake of her head, Twilight turned to smile at Trixie again. “Don’t mind her. She’s just a little excitable…”

“You don’t say?” muttered Trixie, still following the pink tail with her eyes.

Twilight giggled. “Anyway, what do you say we take a walk? It’s a pretty nice day, after all.”

Trixie just gave her a questioning look.

“…You did say you wanted to stretch your legs, didn’t you?” said Twilight, raising an eyebrow. “And maybe we could talk some more along the way.”

Trixie stared at her in silence, blinking a few times before finally giving a slow nod. “Trixie… supposes so,” she said. “So long as we walk away from your manic pink friend…”

Twilight gave another giggle and nodded gratefully.

* * *

6 - In Good Hooves (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter six: In Good Hooves

Trixie took a deep breath through her nose and let it out in a sigh. Ponyville Park was a lovely place, perhaps one of the nicest parks Trixie had visited. It was calm, quiet and had a deliciously subtle air about it. What was more, Twilight Sparkle was even making for not-unpleasant company, as unlikely as that sounded.

It would've been so much better, though, if not for the irritating cast around Trixie's leg...

“Are you alright?” asked Twilight, as Trixie bent down to bite at the offending woolly thing.

“Fine,” grunted Trixie. “This thing is just getting itchy...”

Twilight frowned at her. “Maybe we should sit down,” she said. Trixie stopped gnawing at the cast to offer her a warning glare. “Or not!” said Twilight, waving a hoof defensively. “But we have been walking for quite a while, it wouldn't hurt to take a little rest.”

Trixie rolled her eyes and drew up to her full height. “If you are tired, Twilight Sparkle, Trixie supposes that we can stop for a minute.”

Twilight giggled quietly. “I am. And thank you.” She glanced around them, smiling as her eyes settled on the outdoor parlour across the street. “How about over there?”

Trixie followed her eyes and nodded, and together they started towards it. Silently, Trixie had to admit that she was a little tired – walking on three legs wasn't nearly as easy as it sounded.

The place was empty except for a couple of earth ponies having lunch, so it was easy enough for them to find a table. Trixie let out a content sigh as she settled herself upon one of the small hay stools, whilst Twilight stood smiling at her.

“I'm going to get a sandwich,” said Twilight, nodding towards the building behind her. “Would you like something?”

Trixie's stomach offered its opinion with a quiet rumble. “Trixie will have one as well,” she said, returning Twilight's smile. With a nod, Twilight trotted off to get their lunch. Trixie watched until the tip of Twilight's tail had vanished through the door before turning to smile thoughtfully at the table.

'Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought,' she mused. After glancing around to make sure that nopony was looking, she conjured the same brown paper envelope as before and stared at her name on the front. 'If she's this eager to help me, then...' It was only another moment before her smile fell into a frown. 'But it's not really the same, is it?'

Slowly, she drew the letter out from within the envelope and held it in front of her nose, running her hoof down the page just to check if it was still real – a silly notion which she quickly shook from her head. The horn-writing on the letter was just as she remembered it...

Dearest Trixie,

I know that it's been a while since we last spoke, so I hope that this letter doesn't come as too great a surprise...

“Nothing surprises Trixie,” she muttered quietly.

...I didn't know where to find you – I never do – so I hired this courier to track you down. I trust that he made good time delivering this to you, and that it hasn't arrived too late.

I've enclosed something that I think you'll find quite interesting...

Trixie grunted, remembering the first time she'd read the letter. 'He always did have a way with understatement...' she thought with a smile.

“What's that?” asked Twilight, startling Trixie as she appeared beside her, hovering a pair of sandwiches on plates. Trixie hurriedly vanished her letter and envelope whilst Twilight took her seat.

“I-It's nothing,” said Trixie. “Just a letter.”

Twilight smiled at her curiously. “From whom? A friend?” she asked, passing Trixie's sandwich across the table.

Trixie averted her eyes. “...Something like that. Does it matter?”

“No, sorry. I was just being nosy,” chuckled Twilight. She gestured to the sandwiches. “I hope you like daffodil and daisy – they didn't have anything else.”

Trixie gave a nod and a faint smile, magically lifting her sandwich and taking a generous bite. Twilight did the same, and the two of them sat and chewed in silence for a while, content to enjoy the food in peace. When Trixie swallowed her first mouthful, she met Twilight's eye.

“Thank you,” said Trixie honestly.

Twilight almost choked on her sandwich. “P-Pardon?” she coughed.

“Trixie isn't going to say it again,” she said, turning her nose up. “That was for everything you've done for Trixie up until now. Don't expect any more.”

Twilight managed to compose herself and swallowed her mouthful without too much more fuss. She looked up at Trixie with a pleasant smile. “So you believe that I'm not doing this for my own benefit?”

Trixie smirked and waved a hoof dismissively. “Trixie still thinks you're up to something,” she said slyly. “But, even if you are... Trixie is grateful for--” She cut off and glanced away, unable to say it. “...Trixie is grateful,” she finished.

Twilight cocked her head and gave a wonky smile. “I feel like I've missed an episode,” she said.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Forget Trixie said anything, you irritating unicorn.”

“That's more like it,” said Twilight, smiling wider. She giggled a little, and Trixie couldn't help but feel a little warm for hearing it. It was a strange feeling – as if Twilight's laughter was somehow infectious. Determined to keep her cool, Trixie raised the sandwich and took another bite, restricting herself to do no more than smile.

Trixie knew that it didn't add up – the Great and Powerful Trixie, sharing lunch and playing with Twilight Sparkle? Unimaginable! But, at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to care. Somehow, even with her wounded leg and the looming worries that the letter brought with it, she felt better than she had done in a long time. And that couldn't possibly be a bad thing, could it?

“Twilight? Trixie?” came a voice from behind. Snapping away from her thoughts, Trixie looked up to see Nurse Redheart, trotting over to them with a curious look on her face.

“Nurse Redheart!” said Twilight, scrambling to her hooves. “I didn't expect to see you here. Is everything alright?”

“I was just passing and thought I heard your voices,” said the Nurse as she came to a stop beside the table. Trixie followed suit and rose from her seat, at which the Nurse's eyes went wide. “My goodness! I wasn't expecting to see you up and about so soon!”

Trixie grunted and flicked back her mane. “Clearly, you've never met a unicorn as Great and Powerful as Trixie before.”

Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile whilst the Nurse put a hoof to her chin and leaned in for a closer look at Trixie's leg. “Clearly...” she muttered thoughtfully. “How are you feeling?” She reached out to start prodding at Trixie experimentally.

“J-Just fine, thank you!” snapped Trixie, recoiling from the touch. “Stop touching Trixi-eeek! Hey! Watch where you're putting those hooves!”

“Hmm,” grunted the Nurse, drawing back with a creased brow. “Trixie, have you been able to move your leg at all?”

“Move it?” repeated Trixie. “How exactly do you expect Trixie to do that? You put it in a cast – which is incredibly irritating, by the way.”

“Really? Oh, I wish I'd brought my clipboard,” muttered the Nurse with a frown. “Here, let me try something. Now, you tell me if this hurts, alright?”

Before Trixie could object, the Nurse leant forwards and bit down on the upper part of Trixie's cast. She glanced up at Trixie experimentally, before pulling back – undoing the knot that tied it to Trixie's chest. Trixie stifled a surprised gasp as the cast fell to the ground and her leg's weight returned to her. Twilight and the Nurse watched with differing looks of anxiety as Trixie flexed her newly restored foreleg gently.

“I... I can move it,” Trixie muttered. “But you said--”

“Trixie, wait!” called the Nurse.

Trixie gave a pained yelp as she touched her hoof to the ground, biting her lip as a tear came to her eye.

“Ohmygosh, are you alright?!” cried Twilight, hopping forwards and laying a hoof on Trixie's back.

Trixie quickly shook her head to compose herself and shrugged Twilight's hoof off. When she opened her eyes, she saw Twilight but a few inches from her face, looking more worried than she'd ever seen her. Trixie's mouth fell open a little as an unfamiliar, dark feeling swept over her.

“Y-Yes,” Trixie muttered, unable to tear her eyes away from Twilight's. “I'm fine.”

Twilight's expression receded only a little as she cocked her head to the side – as if scanning for some trace of a lie. Trixie found herself too confused to speak... For a moment, she just stared at Twilight, before finally shaking her head and looking over at the Nurse, who was also frowning.

“I'm very sorry, Trixie,” she said. “I should've warned you. In cases like this, simply moving the leg is the easy part – but as soon as you put weight on it--”

“Yes, Trixie figured that much out for herself,” she snapped with a trouncing glare. Nurse Redheart looked away.

“But, that's a good sign, isn't it?” said Twilight hopefully, glancing between the two of them.

The Nurse turned to meet her eyes. “Yes. You’re right, it is,” she said, brightening up a little. “I admit that I don't have a lot of experience with injuries from the Everfree Forest, but I had expected it to be at least a week before we could take the cast off...”

Twilight offered Trixie a relieved smile. “I guess you got lucky,” she chirped.

Trixie, still feeling the after-aches in her foreleg, grunted. “That's not the word Trixie would have used.”

“If this keeps up, you'll be fully recovered in no time at all!” said the Nurse, turning to offer Trixie a smile. “For now though, you'll have to take things slowly... And I'll need you to put the cast back on-- Just for a few more days!” she added firmly, countering Trixie's glare. “After that, we should be ready to start the next stage of your treatment.”

“The next stage?” said Trixie, furrowing her brow. “What do you mean?”

The Nurse shook her head. “Don't you worry about that now – I'll explain later.” She bent down and picked up the cast, lifting it towards Trixie's leg. Trixie considered pushing her away – she wasn't eager to have the itchy cast back. Twilight, as though sensing Trixie's objection, threw her an empathetic look. After a moment of staring, Trixie huffed and let the Nurse go about her work.

When the cast was firmly reattached around her leg, Nurse Redheart stepped back. Trixie tried to move her leg, but found it completely pinned. She glared at the Nurse. “Could you make it a little tighter? Trixie thinks she still has some circulation--”

“Trixie!” Twilight hissed, though there was a definite hint of a smile on her face. She turned to the Nurse. “Thank you, Nurse Redheart. When should we come and see you?”

“How does Friday morning sound?” said the Nurse.

Trixie rolled her eyes and groaned.

“--Alright, Thursday then,” the Nurse conceded. “But no earlier! These things can't be rushed.”

Twilight gave Trixie a searching look. “Fine,” said Trixie. “Thursday. Trixie can't wait to get back on her own four hooves.”

The Nurse flashed her a smile before turning to Twilight again. “Twilight, could I have a word with you?” She gestured to one side meaningfully, and Twilight nodded. The two of them strode over to the other side of the parlour, leaving Trixie alone at the table. With a huff, she turned to her sandwich.

'Well, I have nothing better to do,' she mused, magically lifting it up and taking another bite.

She heard only snippets of the conversation as she sat there – both Twilight and the Nurse were speaking in hushed voices. As far as Trixie was concerned, it was incredibly rude of them to exclude her, so it was only fair that she turn her head to listen in properly.

“--You're sure you won't need any more sedative?” asked the Nurse.

“I think we'll be fine,” chuckled Twilight. “And I still don't think that was very nice of you, by the way!”

“I was just doing my job, Twilight Sparkle. But I think you're right – you will be fine. For two ponies who 'don't see eye to eye', you certainly seem to be getting along well.”

Trixie quickly turned back to her sandwich as Twilight looked in her direction. “...Sometimes, ponies can surprise you,” said Twilight thoughtfully.

The Nurse chuckled. “That they can...” When Trixie chanced another look towards them, she saw that Nurse Redheart had a hoof on Twilight's back. “Keep doing whatever you're doing, Twilight Sparkle,” she said with a warm smile. “Trixie is in good hooves.”

“Thank you,” said Twilight, returning the smile. As the two of them shared a quick hug, Trixie went back to finishing up her sandwich – chewing slowly as she mulled over what she'd heard.

* * *

“Spike, we're home!”

Trixie followed Twilight Sparkle over the threshold and magically closed the door behind her. Twilight gave a content sigh as she breathed in the scent of the library whilst Trixie stood awkwardly just inside the door, wondering what she was going to do now.

Twilight turned to smile at her. “So, what did you think?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

“About Ponyville,” said Twilight, as if it was obvious. “It's a pretty nice place, isn't it?”

Trixie rolled her eyes and glanced towards the window. “Trixie supposes so,” she said dismissively. Twilight frowned at her, clearly expecting a more enthusiastic answer. Trixie huffed and fixed her with a condescending smile. “Trixie enjoyed our walk, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head at Trixie's demeanour. “Glad to hear I'm such a good host...”

“Trixie wouldn't go that far,” said Trixie with a smirk.

Twilight chuckled. “Alright, Miss 'Big-time Showmare' – how about you cook dinner tonight?” she countered.

Trixie pretended a huff as she walked over to the nearest table and took a seat. “Fine... Trixie supposes that you are a 'good' host, Twilight Sparkle.”

“That's better,” Twilight chirped, trotting over towards a bookshelf and idly rearranging some titles with her magic. She cast a glance over at Trixie. “So, good news, huh?”

“Yes,” said Trixie, finding a proud smile. “Trixie will be back on her hooves soon. And then she can--” She broke off.

“Yes?” Twilight prompted, her eyes still focused on her books.

“Nothing,” said Trixie quickly. When Twilight gave her a questioning look, Trixie simply shook her head and tried to change the subject. “Did the Nurse say anything to you about this 'next stage of treatment'?”

“No,” said Twilight. “I'm sure it's nothing we need to worry about though – Nurse Redheart is very good at her job.”

“Trixie... supposes so,” she conceded. With a smile, Twilight went back to sorting her bookshelf, whilst Trixie frowned down at the table in thought.

The news that her recovery was going more quickly than expected was of course good to hear, but it also brought with it something of a time constraint – as soon as Trixie was fully healed, she would have no excuse to stay in Ponyville. She'd already told Twilight that she was just passing through, and going back on that word would just bring about more awkward questions.

'It'll be fine,' she assured herself. 'I'll talk to her. Soon...'

Trixie looked up to find Twilight staring at her expectantly. “Did you say something?” Trixie asked.

“I said 'would you like me to get you something to read?' Unless you'd rather do something else?” said Twilight.

“Oh. No – Trixie will manage.”

Twilight smiled. “Okay – well, if you do need anything, just shout. I'll be upstairs – I need to write a report to the Princess,” she said quite calmly.

Trixie furrowed her brow as Twilight headed over towards the stairs. “The Princess?” Trixie repeated.

Twilight stopped in her tracks and looked back at Trixie with a sheepish grin. “Oops,” she muttered. “Um, it's kind of a long story... And it's not really that interesting--”

“Trixie wants to hear it,” Trixie interrupted firmly.

“Hmm,” grunted Twilight, looking down in thought. She took a moment before meeting Trixie's eyes again. “Well... okay, I guess. Why don't I tell you over dinner tonight?”

Trixie found herself smiling, and she gave a quick nod. “Trixie... would like that.”

* * *

Interlude - The Element Of Magic

“Eyes On You”

Interlude: The Element Of Magic

“Is my hair alright? Should I brush it again? Maybe I should do my horn--”

“Ugh!” growled Spike. “For the hundredth time – your hair looks fine, your horn looks fine, your hooves look fine, you look fine! What’s gotten into you? Since when do you get nervous about telling ponies you’re the Princess’ student?”

Twilight rounded on him, knocking her dressing table as she went. “This isn’t ‘ponies’, Spike, this is Trixie!”

“Um, and Trixie is different because…?”

Twilight huffed and fell back onto her haunches. “I don’t know! What if she gets jealous? Or what if she thinks I'm making it up? I've only just gotten her to start trusting me, Spike – I don't want to ruin that!”

Spike put a claw to his face. “Twilight, you’re making way too big a deal out of this. Anyway, didn’t she ask you to tell her?”

“Well… yeah,” muttered Twilight. “But--”

“I rest my case,” said Spike, folding his arms across his chest.

Twilight opened her mouth to argue, but realised that she didn’t really have anything more to add. After a moment of staring at Spike’s resolute stance, Twilight finally gave a sigh and got to her hooves. “Fine.”

Spike smirked and opened one eye. “That’s what I thought!”

Twilight parodied him as she trotted over to the door. Part way over the threshold, she stopped. “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” she called back.

“Nah, I’ll pass,” said Spike, waving a dismissive claw. “You two have fun though,” he added with a smirk.

Twilight rolled her eyes and started down towards the lobby, magically closing the door behind her. She took the stairs at a slow trot, more than once stopping to run a nervous hoof through her mane. When she reached the bottom, she saw that Trixie was already sitting at the table – head atop her hoof and looking thoroughly bored.

“It's about time!” said Trixie. “What were you doing – rehearsing? Trixie's salad is getting cold.”

Twilight cocked her head as she strode over to join Trixie at the table. “Your salad was always cold...”

Trixie fixed her with a deadpan expression. “Yes. It was.”

With a little giggle, Twilight climbed up onto the stool opposite and pulled her own bowl of salad towards her. “Sorry. We can get started whenever you're ready.”

“Take your time,” said Trixie sarcastically.

Twilight gave her a sheepish grin. “Oh, haha, right… So, you want to hear about the Princess... Um, where should I start?”

“It’s your story,” said Trixie, shrugging. “How about telling Trixie how somepony from the backwater town of Ponyville even got to meet the Princess?”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Huh? Who do you m--” She cut herself off and raised her eyebrows in understanding. “Oh! You mean me?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “No, Trixie means Rainbow Dash...” she deadpanned. “Of course Trixie means you!”

Twilight giggled and shook her head. “Actually, I’m not from originally from Ponyville – I was born and raised in Canterlot.”

“Canterlot?” Trixie repeated, raising an eyebrow. “You?”

“That’s right!” chirped Twilight. “Why do you sound surprised?”

Trixie blinked, then shook her head to refocus. “T-Trixie isn’t surprised! She just finds it a little hard to believe. Trixie has been to Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle, the ponies there are nothing like y--” She broke off mid-sentence and her cheeks suddenly gained a hint of red. “W-What Trixie means is… they’re all--”

“Snobs?” Twilight finished helpfully. Trixie stared for a moment longer before closing her mouth and nodding. “Well, I’ll grant that a lot of ponies in Canterlot are… like that… but not everypony. My parents were nice ponies, they didn’t believe in all that ‘highborn, elite’ nonsense.”

“Trixie… sees,” muttered the showmare. “Well, at least that explains how you got to meet the Princess…”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “She travelled around Canterlot quite a lot, for somepony with all her responsibilities. The first time I met her… well, saw her anyway, was at the Summer Sun Celebration when I was just a little filly…”

Twilight told her everything – the whole story that ended with her getting her cutie mark and being enrolled into Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns. It was nice to tell the story out loud, and nicer still that she had an audience that didn't see fit to interrupt every two minutes. Trixie was silent almost the whole time – she just sat, watching and taking in every word until Twilight finished her recount. By the time the story had finished though, Trixie had a quizzical look on her face.

“...You turned your parents into flowerpots?” she muttered. By her tone, Twilight couldn't tell whether she was amused, disbelieving or just completely lost. Probably a bit of each...

Twilight gave her a sheepish grin. “I couldn't control my magic back then... To be honest, I'm still learning. But it's gotten a lot easier since Princess Celestia took me under her wing – she's the best teacher I've ever known.” She smiled at the memory.

Trixie looked down at the table. “Trixie sees...”

“Is something wrong?” asked Twilight. “You haven't touched your cold salad.”

“Neither have you,” Trixie pointed out. She met Twilight's eyes with a thoughtful frown. “There's more to the story, isn't there? Trixie wants to know what happened.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“It sounds like you had a wonderful life in Canterlot, but now you're living in Ponyville? Did something happen between you and the Princess?”

Twilight smiled and waved a hoof. “Oh no, nothing like that! The Princess actually sent me here to take care of the festivities for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Trixie blinked. “...That was months ago.”

“Well that's not why I stayed, obviously,” said Twilight, rolling her eyes. “Did you hear anything in the news about Princess Luna's return?”

Trixie blinked again. “Don't tell Trixie you had something to do with that as well?”

Twilight bit her lip. “Well... maybe just a little...”

* * *

Trixie listened intently as Twilight recounted the tale of how she and her new friends had set out on a quest to find the Elements of Harmony, ultimately using them to redeem the dreaded Nightmare Moon and single-hoofedly save Equestria. Trixie, having made up similar stories in the past, knew full well how to tell when somepony was embellishing a story for their own benefit. But, as hard Trixie wanted to believe otherwise, it seemed that Twilight was telling the truth...

“...and then the Princess turned to Luna and welcomed her back with open arms – it was really touching. Of course, Pinkie Pie thought so too, and she wanted to throw a--”

“Stop,” said Trixie. Twilight did so, cutting off mid-sentence and frowning at her.

“Is something the matter? Am I going too fast? I'm sorry, I guess I just got carried away--”

Trixie shook her head. “It's not that. Are you really telling Trixie that you embody the Element of Magic? Does anypony ever believe that?”

Twilight opened her mouth, then huffed and looked down at the table. “It does sound a little far-fetched, doesn't it?”

Trixie mimicked her – frowning down at her salad bowl. “But it's true...”

Twilight nodded slowly. “It's really not that big of a deal though. I've hardly told anypony about it, and Princess Celestia agreed to keep the details out of the papers.”

“She 'agreed' to?” said Trixie, furrowing her brow at Twilight. “You asked her to do that? But... why? You would've been famous!”

A smile found its way back onto Twilight's face. “Probably. That's why I wanted it to be kept a secret.”

“That... doesn't make any sense,” said Trixie shortly.

“Well, would you want to see your face on the front of the newspaper?” countered Twilight. “To have ponies coming up to you in the street and praising you whenever you walked out of the door?”

“Yes!” said Trixie with exasperation. “I can't believe you'd pass up an offer like that!”

Twilight chuckled. “Maybe you would've made a better Element of Magic.”

Trixie opened her mouth to counter, but the words caught in her throat. She broke from Twilight's gaze and turned to the side. “I... Trixie couldn't do that...”

“Why not?” said Twilight. “You're a magician, aren't you? All those tricks you did at your magic show were really impressive. And I saw how you stood up to that Ursa--”

“Don't make fun of me,” Trixie snapped, casting a glare at Twilight.

Twilight threw up her hooves defensively. “I'm not! Really, that was one of the bravest things I've ever seen – and I've seen some pretty brave things since I came to Ponyville.”

Trixie shook her head and frowned sadly. “Trixie made a foal of herself in front of everypony. How is that brave?”

“Are you kidding?” said Twilight. “Standing up to something that big to protect those two colts, even when you had no idea how to vanquish it – you're practically a hero, Trixie!”

“Don't hurt yourself, Twilight,” warned Spike, trudging down the stairs and disappearing into the kitchen.

Trixie stared silently at the table, her lip turned up in thought. Thinking back on it, she'd always told herself that she did what she did in some vain attempt to protect her reputation. But she didn't really have that much time to think back then – it was kind of difficult with an Ursa breathing down her neck...

“...Is that really how it looked?” she muttered.

Twilight seemed to hesitate. “Well, I was kind of panicking at the time, so I don't know what everypony else was thinking... But yes – that's how it looked to me.”

Trixie pondered it for a moment longer, before shaking her head. “Trixie couldn't vanquish it though. A real hero would have vanquished it...”

“Not necessarily,” said Twilight. Trixie looked up at her questioningly. For her part, Twilight offered a faint smile as she went on. “There's something Princess Celestia always used to tell me. 'Strength isn't the only way to be strong'.”

Trixie stared at Twilight. Then she broke eye contact to give it some thought, before finally turning to stare again. “...That doesn't make sense,” she deadpanned.

Twilight giggled. “That's what I told her. She never did tell me what it meant, but I always thought of it like this – Just because you can't physically do something on your own, it doesn't necessarily mean you're weak. Sometimes, real strength is having the courage to move forward anyway, to stand up for your friends even if you know you can't win...”

Pausing, Twilight gave Trixie an earnest smile.

“...and sometimes it's just having the courage to ask for help.”

Trixie's mouth fell open a little – her tongue wandering about her mouth as she made sense of Twilight's words. “You're... very thoughtful this evening, Twilight Sparkle...” she muttered.

Twilight's eyes widened and she blushed. “Ahaha-- W-Well, I guess you just have that effect on me...”

Trixie found herself smiling at that. Anything else she had to say was pre-empted by the growling of her stomach. “...We should eat,” she said abruptly, forcing her eyes down to her yet-untouched bowl of salad.

Twilight cleared her throat and nodded. “Right. I'm starving.”

* * *

7 - It Takes Two (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter seven: It Takes Two

At first, Twilight hadn't been eager to explain about her history in Canterlot and her relationship with the Princess, for fear that Trixie would think she was boasting. But, by the time dinner that evening was over, she was glad to have gotten it out of the way.

That story marked only the first of Twilight's recounts though – Trixie seemed eager to hear more, and Twilight was all too happy to share. Over the next few days, Twilight told more of how she had come to stay in Ponyville, of how she had grown closer to her friends, and of some of their adventures thereafter – though Trixie quickly lost interest whenever the story wandered too far from Twilight herself. They spoke over meals, whilst walking around town or sometimes just when they were sitting in the library.

And even though Twilight was doing most of the talking, she had to admit that she was enjoying herself – Trixie was a good audience when she wasn't... 'being Trixie'. By Thursday morning though, when Twilight stepped out the door behind the showmare, she wasn't even sure that she could call it that any more – having seen so many different sides of her over the past week. But which, if any, were the acts? And which were signs of the 'real' Trixie?

“Could you walk any slower?” teased Trixie.

Twilight found herself trotting down the middle of the trail through town, lagging behind Trixie, whose cape was blowing softly in the wind. She shook her head and hurried to catch up. “S-Sorry. I was just thinking.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes. You do that a lot.”

Twilight gawped at her. “You say that like it's a bad thing!”

Trixie gave a little chuckle at the joke, whilst Twilight just smiled beside herself. A strange thought crossed her mind as they walked, side-by-side down the street – Being with Trixie was becoming more and more like being with a friend…

As the hospital tent came into view, Trixie began to slow down. Twilight picked up on the hesitation, but she chose not to say anything. If Trixie was nervous, she certainly wouldn't want Twilight to know that.

Nurse Redheart poked her nose out from under the flap as they approached and, when she caught sight of them, she smiled warmly. “Good morning, you two!” she chirped, sliding out of the tent. “No problems, I trust?”

“No,” said Twilight brightly. “We're just here for our check-up.”

The Nurse creased her brow and smirked a little. “I think you mean Trixie's check-up.”

Twilight drew back a little as her face grew warm under the Nurse's – and Trixie's – gaze. “O-Oh, of course! I just--” The Nurse chuckled, and Trixie smirked as well, which just made Twilight all the more embarrassed. “Oh, why is everyone picking on me lately?!”

“Maybe you should try thinking before you speak, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie suggested. “Or not. Trixie loves seeing you embarrassed.”

Twilight shot her a glare. The Nurse covered her mouth with a hoof to stop the laughter. “A-Alright, you two – come on inside and we'll see about getting that cast off...”

The inside of the tent smelled just as strongly as ever, but Twilight managed to keep from gagging this time around. She and Trixie followed the Nurse up to one of the beds which, at the Nurse's request, Trixie sat down upon. Twilight planted herself on the ground beside her.

“Just a moment,” said Nurse Redheart, sliding over to grab her clipboard from a nearby stool before setting it down on the bed. “Okay, are you ready?”

“Yes,” said Trixie firmly. “Trixie thinks she's had about enough of this itching piece of--”

“Hold still,” said the Nurse, leaning in to bite down on the cast's knot. With practised ease, she lifted the cast away and placed it carefully on the ground whilst Trixie let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Itching gone?” asked Twilight with a smirk.

“Yes. Yes it is,” said Trixie contently.

“Okay, Trixie – I want you to take it slowly this time,” said the Nurse. Trixie rolled her eyes at the tone. “I'm serious – one thing at a time, okay?”

“Trixie understands,” she huffed.

The Nurse smiled and glanced over at her clipboard. “Good. Now, I'd like you to flex your leg, please.”

Trixie, eyes focused on her foreleg, did exactly as she was told. She slowly extended it all the way, without any obvious trouble, then brought it back to sit beside her chest. “There,” said Trixie.

“Excellent!” said Nurse Redheart. “Next, I'd like you to stand up on your three good hooves... Not too quickly!” she added as Trixie practically jumped from the bed. With another huff, Trixie rose to her hooves as slowly as she could manage without falling over.

The Nurse nodded in approval. “And now the tricky part – I need you to touch your foreleg to the ground.” Trixie hesitated, and Twilight had to admit to being a little worried herself. “It might hurt a little,” the Nurse admitted.

“'A little'?” said Trixie, throwing her a glare.

Twilight offered a warm smile. “You can do it, Trixie.”

Taken by surprise, Trixie gave her a puzzled look. “...W-Well, of course Trixie can do it,” she said. “It's just-- Oh, never mind! Let's get this over with.”

Trixie took a sharp breath and held it as she cautiously lowered her hoof. Twilight, despite what she'd said, found herself biting her lip as she watched. Trixie braced herself with one eye closed as the hoof neared the ground.

Clop.

Twilight cringed, expecting another pained yelp, but it didn't come. Trixie slowly opened her other eye and tapped the ground again. Nothing. She let out her breath and turned to smile at Twilight.

“Nothing?” said the Nurse, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” said Trixie proudly.

Nurse Redheart beamed at her. “That's wonderful! That means we're ready to start with your therapy.”

Trixie's smile faded.

“You mentioned that before,” Twilight mused aloud. “What kind of therapy are you talking about?”

Nurse Redheart removed the top page from her clipboard and put it to one side. “Physical therapy,” she said. “It will be some time before you can walk on your own again, Trixie – but we can start working towards that right away.”

Trixie furrowed her brow. “What do you mean? It doesn't hurt to touch the ground anymore. Why shouldn't Trixie be able to walk?”

“I think you'll agree that just touching the ground isn't a good approximation for the pressure of walking, hmm?” said the Nurse sweetly.

Trixie shut her mouth.

“So, what do we need to do?” asked Twilight.

Nurse Redheart smiled at her. “Put simply, you need to practise.” She tapped her clipboard a few times. “A little exercise every day will help your leg heal up properly, Trixie. But--” She locked eyes with Trixie. “You're going to need some help.”

Trixie scoffed. “Please, Trixie thinks she can manage 'a little exercise'.”

The Nurse shook her head. “Trixie, if you try to do this alone, you're just going to make things worse. The safest thing to do is to let Twilight here give you a helping hoof.”

“Me?” said Twilight. “What can I do?”

* * *

“Trixie isn't doing it.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as the two of them made their steady way towards home – with Trixie keeping her foreleg held close to her chest. “Come on,” said Twilight. “It's really not that bad...”

Trixie scoffed and looked at her sidelong. “Not that bad? Trixie has a reputation to uphold, Twilight Sparkle. Besides, anypony who saw would think we were--” She broke off and looked away, but Twilight didn't have to see her face to know that she was blushing.

“Look, if you don't want to do it, I'm not going to make you,” sighed Twilight. “But shouldn't we at least try? Don't you want to be able to walk properly again?”

“It's not that!” snapped Trixie. “Just... drop it, please. Trixie will manage on her own.”

Twilight frowned at her. “But Nurse Redheart--”

Trixie fixed her with a glare. “I know what she said!” Twilight pursed her lips, worried that Trixie was going to get angry again. The glare lasted only a few seconds though, before she huffed and looked away. “Trixie will manage,” she said again. “Watch...”

Twilight rolled her eyes. It was a moment before she actually registered what Trixie had said, and she turned too late…

Trixie placed her bad forehoof firmly on the ground and, after a brief cringe, looked up at Twilight triumphantly. “See?” she said. Twilight still had her mouth open, ready to speak, but couldn't find any words.

And then Trixie took a step forwards...

Twilight gasped and dived to the ground just in time to cushion Trixie's fall. The showmare flopped unceremoniously over Twilight’s back with a pained “Oof!”

Groaning, Twilight carefully pushed herself upright to support the weight. “Ugh, you were saying?” she grumbled.

As Trixie's head lolled down beside Twilight's, she saw a tear running down her cheek. “Ow...” Trixie muttered through clenched teeth. Empathy drove any trace of spite from Twilight's mind in an instant.

“I'm sorry, Trixie. I--”

“Don't,” Trixie interrupted, keeping her eyes closed. “Just... don't. Take me back to the library... please.”

The shame in her voice was unmistakable, and it was a disturbing thing to hear – considering how proud Trixie usually was. Twilight wanted to offer some more words of sympathy but, even if she could think of anything, Trixie clearly didn't want to hear it. With a sigh, Twilight began shambling onwards, Trixie's foreleg slung across her back.

* * *

Twilight stared up at the darkened roof of her loft with a firm frown set on her face. Her eyes were aching and the pillow atop her chest did as little to comfort her as did the mattress beneath her. Spike's snoring didn't help much either...

With a huff, she rolled onto her side and gazed out of the window, into the starry sky above. She idly started naming the constellations in her head, hoping for a sheep-counting effect that never came. She frowned as her eyes reached the last one. “That’s not right,” she muttered. “Celestia’s Wing has fourteen stars, not nine…” She craned her neck to get a better look, but she just overbalanced and fell to the floor with a yelp.

Twilight stood up, grumbling under her breath as she rubbed her nose. She pulled herself up to the windowsill, pressed her face against the glass and squinted. There were still only eleven out of fourteen stars…

Compulsiveness taking over, she growled trotted down to the balcony door. She nudged it open and slid out, taking care to close it quietly so as not to wake Spike.

Surprisingly, the night air was not unwelcoming – there was a crisp but gentle breeze that made the inside of the library seem terribly stuffy. She didn’t take a moment to enjoy it though, instead striding straight up to the edge of the balcony and casting her gaze about for Celestia’s Wing.

“Aha!” she said, raising her hoof to point. “Twelve, thirteen, fourteen!” With a nod and a satisfied smile, she made to go back inside, only to stop when something caught her eye – a pale flash of light from the town below. Curious, she peeked out over the railing and, to her surprise, saw a unicorn in the street below. The light from said unicorn’s horn was subtle, but unmistakable in the dark of night.

“Trixie?” muttered Twilight, squinting down. As her eyes adjusted, she could just about make out the familiar, starry pattern of Trixie’s cape. “What’s she doing out there?”

Twilight knelt down and poked her nose through the gap between the railing, thinking it best that Trixie didn’t know she was spying on her. It wasn’t really ‘spying’, of course – she was just checking up on Trixie, to make sure she was okay. Twilight gave a firm nod and bumped her snout on the floor. She had to bite her lip to keep from cursing as she massaged her nose and forced herself to focus on Trixie instead.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what she was doing, stumbling around and hopping back with a squeak every now and then. Despite the Nurse’s advice, Trixie was trying to go it alone, and it was working about as well as expected… Every yelp from Trixie made Twilight feel that much worse, until finally she couldn’t stand to watch any longer.

Twilight rose to her hooves and took a breath to call out—

“Sad, isn’t it?”

Twilight jumped back with a start as she noticed the tall, radiant pony beside her. “Princess Celestia?!” The Princess offered a warm smile. Twilight was too stunned to figure out whether she should smile back, bow deeply or simply turn tail and run. “H-How long have you been standing there?” she managed.

Celestia shook her head gently. “Not long. I hope you don’t mind my dropping in on you like this?”

“N-No! Of course not!” said Twilight quickly. Even as she spoke, she found herself glancing down at Trixie, who, strangely, didn’t seem to have noticed their voices.

The Princess followed her eyes. “She can’t hear us, Twilight. I made sure.”

Twilight felt her face growing suddenly red. “I-I know how this must look, but--”

“It looks like you’re watching out for your friend. There’s no need to be ashamed of that,” said the Princess warmly. Her tone was soothing, as always, and Twilight let herself relax a little. Celestia took a step closer to the railing and peered down at Trixie. “She certainly looks a pitiful sight.”

Twilight swallowed – knowing how much Trixie would hate to hear that word. Pitiful… As unkind as it sounded though, it was true. Frowning, Twilight stepped up beside the Princess to watch Trixie again.

“She’s very proud,” said Twilight. “Too proud to let me help--” Trixie stumbled and fell, but she pushed herself back up a second later. “--But she’s strong too. Maybe she can do it on her own.”

The Princess nodded slowly. “Perhaps. But determination isn’t always enough – sometimes, even the strongest of us need a helping hoof--” She turned to smile at Twilight. “Do you remember?”

Twilight’s heart filled with warmth at the memory. She returned the smile twofold before cuddling up to Celestia’s neck. “I remember, Princess.”

For what felt like minutes, she revelled in the warm embrace, enjoying the rhythmic rising and falling that came with Celestia’s breathing. She’d almost forgotten how fluffy her coat was…

Celestia’s chest rattled with a tinkling chuckle. Twilight snapped back and blushed, suddenly aware of how long she’d held the embrace. The Princess pressed a gentle hoof to Twilight’s lips to pre-empt the apology. After a moment, Twilight settled for drawing back and offering a sheepish grin.

The Princess just smiled. After a few moments though, her silence started to get unsettling. “Um, Princess… why are you here?” asked Twilight. “Not that I mind!”

Celestia cocked her head to the side in mock puzzlement. “Hmm? Are you saying I need a reason to come visit my Little Sorceress?”

“Oh, goodness, no!” said Twilight quickly. “You can come and visit whenever you want! I didn’t mean to--”

Celestia chuckled again. “Your letter made me curious, Twilight – I had to come and see this ‘Trixie’ for myself.”

“My… letter?”

“More… the wording of your letter, I suppose,” said the Princess, looking up to the sky. Twilight kept her brow furrowed until Celestia met her eyes again with a smile. “Oh, don’t mind me, Twilight – I’ve just gotten thoughtful in my old age.”

Twilight shook her head when she registered the words. “Don’t be silly, Princess! You’re not old!”

Celestia’s laughter rang out through the night air, and Twilight couldn’t help but join her after a moment. When the mirth finally died down, Celestia brushed her neck against Twilight’s. “That’s very kind of you, dear,” she chuckled.

She pulled back and turned to look towards Trixie again, leaving Twilight with a smile that quickly faded into a thoughtful frown. “…Princess, can I ask your advice?” Twilight turned her eyes to Trixie. “…Do you think that, in this case, some… ‘tough love’ might be prudent?”

Celestia chuckled again. “I love it when you do that,” she said. When she saw Twilight’s frown though, she hummed in thought. “You want me to tell you whether you should force your help on Trixie?” Twilight glanced down at the floor, then nodded. “…I’m not sure that it’s my place to decide,” said the Princess.

“I know it’s my decision,” said Twilight. “But I honestly don’t know what’s best for her…”

The Princess turned to look at her. “If you had to decide right now, what would you do?”

“Right now?” Twilight looked up at the sky in thought. “…I don’t know.”

“Then perhaps you should wait a while, hmm?” said Celestia. She unfurled her wing and brushed it against Twilight’s face. “Get some sleep, my dear. Perhaps things will be clearer in the morning.”

“But--” Hearing Trixie yelp, Twilight turned to see that she had collapsed again. It took a moment, but she did indeed rise up to keep trying. “--No, you’re right,” said Twilight. “I have to let her try, at least.”

Celestia smiled at her. “You've come a long way since moving to Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle. I know I've said so before, but I'm very proud of you.”

“Thank you, Princess.” She gave Celestia one last nuzzle on the neck. “Um, would you like to come in for tea, or--”

The Princess shook her head. “I would love to, but I really must get back... Perhaps another time?”

Twilight nodded understandingly as Celestia unfurled her great, white wings and beat them, sending a gust of warm wind over the balcony. “Goodbye, Princess,” said Twilight, bowing low as Celestia rose into the air. “I'll let you know what I decide!”

“Then I'll look forward to your letter, as always,” said the Princess with a smile. With that, she beat her wings again, rising higher. Once more, and then she was gone.

Twilight chanced another look down at Trixie. She wasn't trying to walk anymore. She was sat on the ground beneath the balcony, staring down at her hooves in silence. Twilight wasn't able to make out anything more, but she found herself biting her lip all the same. The urge to go down and talk to her was almost overpowering and, if not for the Princess' words, she most certainly would have done so. But...

“Sleep,” Twilight muttered. She nodded firmly to reassure herself, then finally tore her eyes away from Trixie and headed back inside.

* * *

With the Princess' blessing and the pleasant memory of her warm touch, it wasn't hard for Twilight to find sleep that night. When she trotted down the stairs the following morning, it was with a smile on her face and a lazy flounder in her step. As usual, the Princess was right – a good night's sleep had done wonders to improve her mood and she was sure that, as soon as she'd had breakfast, she'd be able to think much more clearly.

'...Or maybe that's just my stomach talking,' Twilight mused, allowing herself a quiet giggle as she came out into the lobby. She stopped at the base of the stairs and did a double-take towards one of the reading tables, across which was sprawled a very bedraggled-looking blue unicorn.

Trixie was perched vaguely atop one of the stools, one forehoof clutched to her chest whilst the other reached out towards the middle of the table. Her mane was unkempt, half covering her face whilst the other half was strewn out in front of her. Even the cape that she had draped over her like a blanket looked messy – it wasn't hard to guess that she'd stayed up for a long time the night before.

Twilight cocked her head as she watched Trixie's sleeping eyes. Her breath was soft and steady, but her face held no trace of the faint but content smile that Twilight had seen before. Even so, it seemed that Trixie couldn't help but look adorable in her sleep – no matter how exhausted she was.

Gripped by a flash of brilliance, Twilight turned on the spot and crept into the kitchen, hurriedly setting about making breakfast. She emerged barely ten minutes later with an impressive stack of pancakes and set them down gently atop Trixie's table.

That did the trick...

The sleeping Trixie took a breath of the food and let it out in a silent sigh through her nose. Almost immediately, her mouth curled up into a smile, which Twilight returned twofold. Deciding to make the most of her flash of brilliance, Twilight leant down until she was only a few inches from Trixie's snout.

Twilight opened her mouth to whisper, but closed it almost immediately – in favour of a better idea. Slowly, she shifted over and brushed her nuzzle against Trixie's shoulder.

As Twilight pulled back, Trixie mumbled something and her eyes fluttered – sending an electric tingle down Twilight's back. When Trixie’s eyes drifted open, they settled upon Twilight, who met the gaze with a smile. As she'd been hoping, the smile on Trixie's own face didn't fade – at least, not right away.

“Good morning,” said Twilight.

Trixie followed her nose to stare at the pancakes beside her. “...Morning,” she muttered, eyes still half-lidded. A moment later, she blinked away the sleep and refocused on Twilight, her smile disappearing in an instant. “Morning?”

Twilight nodded and gave a little giggle. “Morning!”

Trixie lifted herself upright atop her stool, her face screwing up with effort. “How long have you been watching Trixie?”

“Not long,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “But I have to admit, you do look kind of pretty with your mane like that.”

Trixie furrowed her brow for a moment, then gave a huff and rested her head on the table. “Oh, shut up.”

“Well, that'll teach you to stay up so late,” said Twilight brightly. “Not that I'm one to talk...”

Trixie groaned. “It's too early, your cheeriness is giving Trixie a headache.”

Twilight leaned in and nudged the plate towards her. “Will pancakes help? They're cinnamon-apple...”

There was a short silence before Trixie lifted her head again to regard said pancakes, as if deciding whether or not it was worth the effort to wake up properly and eat them. “...Fine,” she said at last. She dragged the plate towards her with magic and sat up as Twilight smiled and took the seat across from her.

She waited until Trixie had taken a few bites of her first pancake before clearing her throat. “So, how's your leg this morning?”

“It aches,” said Trixie, flexing it half-heartedly. “But so does the rest of me...”

“I'm not surprised,” said Twilight before she thought better of it. Trixie gave her a questioning look, in the face of which Twilight quickly corrected herself. “I-I mean, what with all that walking we've been doing lately – it's got to be difficult with just three legs...”

Trixie flicked back her mane. “It's nothing Trixie can't handle.” The words had hardly left her mouth before shied away from Twilight's gaze, a gesture not overlooked by Twilight herself.

“Have you given any more thought to... you know...” asked Twilight.

Trixie blinked, but didn't turn her head. “...Yes.”

“And?” said Twilight, leaning in hopefully.

There was another silence until, finally, Trixie looked up at her. “Trixie will do it alone.”

Twilight let her head droop backwards and groaned. “Do I have to beg?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow.

“...I'm not going to beg, Trixie,” Twilight deadpanned.

Trixie shook her head. “It doesn't matter anyway. Trixie has a reputation to protect – she isn't going to go parading around town with her leg around you for all to see.”

Twilight huffed and let her gaze fall to the table as Trixie took another bite of her pancake. 'If she goes on being this stubborn, her leg is never going to get fixed,' she mused sadly. 'There has to be some way that I can get her to--' Twilight looked up, her eyebrows raising in surprise as an idea struck her.

“What if you didn't have to?” she said. Trixie, her mouth still full of food, simply creased her brow at Twilight. “I mean, what if they didn't see us?”

Trixie swallowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, ponies hardly ever come in here – the place is practically private. So, why don't we just practise in here? Where nopony can see.”

“No-pony, maybe,” said Trixie. “But, in case you've forgotten, you're not the only one who lives here. What about the dragonling?”

Twilight cocked her head. “Spike? Oh, I can send him off to do some things in town. I'm sure he'd be all too happy to spend some time helping out around Rarity's boutique.”

Trixie curled her lip ever so slightly.

Sensing her advantage, Twilight pressed on. “And besides that, we could always go out at night. We could walk down by Fluttershy's cottage – nopony ever goes down there after dark.”

“...You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?” said Trixie, though her voice betrayed that she was considering it.

'Just one more push...'

“I know how strong you are, Trixie – you could do this on your own if you wanted to. All I'm saying is that you don't have to...” She flashed Trixie her most charming smile. “I can help – trust me.”

Trixie was silent for a long time, gazing thoughtfully to the side all the while. When she finally looked up at Twilight, it was with a searching frown. “...Not because Trixie is too weak?” she muttered.

Twilight reached out to lay a hoof atop Trixie's. “No. Because I'm your friend. And friends help each other.”

Trixie stared at her as she took in the words. A faint smile crept its way onto her lips. “Friends...”

A moment later, Trixie quickly shook her head, pulled her hoof out of Twilight's grip and cleared her throat with authority. “A-Alright, Twilight Sparkle – you make a good case,” she said.

Twilight's eyes lit up with hope. “So...?”

Trixie levitated her pancake fork and waved it in front of Twilight. “We'll start after breakfast.”

As soon as Trixie closed her eyes to enjoy her next bite of pancake, Twilight grinned wide and clopped her hooves together joyfully.

* * *

8 - Jealousy (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter eight: Jealousy

Trixie pretended not to notice Twilight’s excitement as the two of them finished up their pancakes – that way, she didn’t have to admit that her smile was for more than just the sweet breakfast…

‘Friend… Twilight Sparkle is Trixie’s friend… my friend…’

No matter which way she looked at it, the whole idea was ridiculous – how this could possibly have happened, she didn’t know. What she did know was that she liked it. Hearing Twilight Sparkle call her ‘friend’ gave her a sort of warm, bubbly feeling in her chest and made her want to laugh, but not because it was funny… it was hard to explain…

Twilight Sparkle rose from her seat so suddenly that Trixie almost choked on her food. “G-Going somewhere?” she choked.

“Just over here,” said Twilight, trotting over to the nearest bookcase. “I just remembered a book in here that might help us.”

Trixie cocked her head. “Help us?”

Waving a hoof dismissively, the purple unicorn started to levitate books down from the higher shelves. “You know, to walk. Together,” she said as she looked over their covers. Trixie rolled her eyes and turned back to her food.

“Trixie doesn’t think we’ll need any ‘help’, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I know,” said Twilight. “But it can’t hurt to be thorough, right?”

Trixie shrugged – it didn’t really matter to her. When she remembered that Twilight was looking in the opposite direction, she added a succinct “No.”

“Glad you agree,” Twilight chirped. “Now, where is that book… Ah, Spike!” She spun around to smile at the baby dragon who had just emerged from the top of the stairwell. “Have you seen our copy of ‘Dancing, a filly’s guide’?”

Trixie’s eyebrows shot up and she threw a questioning look at Twilight, but the bookish mare still wasn’t looking at her. For his part, the half-asleep Spike suddenly stood to attention, looking thoroughly busted. “I, uh… I think Rainbow Dash checked it out last week…” he said, scratching at his neck.

Twilight gave him a deadpan look. “…Rainbow Dash…”

“Yeah!”

“…Checked out a textbook?”

“Um, yes?”

“…On dancing?”

Spike went silent, managing only a nod and an utterly emotionless expression. Twilight’s lips crept up into a smirk. “Did you take it?”

The whelp stared at her, unblinking as his cheeks started to change colour. “…I don’t know.”

Twilight brought a hoof up to her mouth and giggled quietly behind it, and Trixie couldn’t help but smirk along with her. “A-Alright, Spike, never mind – we’ll look for it later,” said Twilight. “For now, I have a mission for you.”

At the word ‘mission’, Spike’s demeanour completely changed. He was standing beside Twilight in a flash, saluting dutifully. “At your service!”

“I’d like you to go find Rainbow Dash and tell her that I’ll be a little late today, so I’d appreciate it if we could meet up at the schoolhouse rather than the diner,” Twilight recited. “After that, please go to the Carousel Boutique and see if Rarity needs any help with her work.”

“Understood!” said Spike, struggling to look businesslike despite the grin forming on his face. “Anything else?”

“If you finish all of that, you’re free to use your initiative. Oh, but don’t come back to the library before lunch,” Twilight added hurriedly.

Spike tilted his head. “Uh, why not?”

“Because…” Twilight exchanged a look with Trixie, before leaning in closer to Spike. “Because Trixie and I are going to be doing girl stuff.”

“…G-Girl stuff?” Spike repeated, backing off a little and casting a worried glance at Trixie – who, catching on, quickly smiled and nodded to confirm his fears.

Twilight gave her an approving smile before turning back to Spike. “Yeah, you know – Braiding our hair, styling our tails--”

“I’m gone!” squealed Spike, shooting from the room like a bullet. As the front door slammed shut behind him, Twilight chuckled and shook her head.

“That should keep him busy for a while,” she said.

Trixie nodded and smirked. “Well played, Sparkle… What was that about meeting at the schoolhouse?”

Returning to her seat across from Trixie, the purple unicorn gave another dismissive hoof wave. “Oh, Fridays are visiting days. Rainbow Dash and I go down to the schoolhouse to give lectures--” She broke off and smiled at the ceiling. “Well, I give lectures… Rainbow mostly just handles the entertainment side of things.”

“…Why?” said Trixie, creasing her brow.

Twilight shrugged. “Because it’s fun! And the teacher – Cheerilee – thinks we’ll be a good influence on the children, seeing as we’re the Elements of Harmony and all.”

Satisfied, Trixie grunted and turned back to her plate – only to find that it was empty…

Twilight peered over. “Oh, you’re finished?” she sang, the excitement returning to her voice. “Great, then shall we get started?”

“Eager, much?” Trixie teased, rising to her hooves. She glanced around the room, just to make sure it was clear, before nodding. “Trixie supposes this is as good a time as any.”

Practically bouncing with every step, Twilight trotted up to her side. “Okay! Hoof, please!”

Trixie raised an eyebrow, but smirked all the same as she steadily lifted her good hoof and let Twilight slide underneath. Trixie grunted as she shifted her weight onto Twilight. It was an awkward position, to say the least, and Trixie wasn’t even sure that ponies were meant to bend that way in the first place. Nonetheless, the two of them managed to find a balance after a moment, and they exchanged a sidelong smile.

Trixie creased her brow as a thought crossed her mind. “Twilight Sparkle… what did you want a dancing textbook for?”

Twilight shook her head, almost head-butting Trixie as she did. “It doesn’t matter, I just thought it might help…”

Trixie stared at her.

“…You know, since this is kind of like dancing?” Twilight continued.

“What?” said Trixie, drawing back. “N-No it isn’t!”

“Sure it is! We have to co-ordinate and share balance… one of us leads and the other follows…”

Trixie felt her face starting to heat up. “B-But it’s not dancing… right?”

“…No?” Twilight guessed, giving Trixie a funny look. “Did you want it to be?”

“No!” Trixie snapped, her cheeks flushing obviously now.

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes! Let’s just go now, alright?”

Trixie forced her eyes away and focused them on the opposite wall. She felt Twilight staring at the side of her head – probably wondering why Trixie was suddenly acting so strangely. To be honest, it was a little silly. But even so…

“Okay then…” said Twilight, her voice refocusing Trixie on the task at hoof. “Why don’t we try moving over to that bookshelf?” She nodded straight ahead.

Trixie blinked. “Y-Yes. Let’s do that.”

An awkward silence fell over the room. Twilight and Trixie stood motionless beside the breakfast table. After what felt like minutes, Twilight finally cleared her throat. “It’s alright, you lead.”

“Trixie was planning to!” said Trixie defensively. “Just… hold on a moment.”

Twilight gave her a ‘reassuring’ smile. “Don’t be afraid to lean on me, Trixie – I won’t fall down.”

Trixie snarled at her. “Alright, we’re going!”

Leaning forwards as gently as if they were dancing – which they weren’t – Trixie started towards the bookshelf. She’d half been expecting Twilight to stumble and send them both falling to the ground, but the bookish unicorn reacted almost immediately. She moved with Trixie, keeping the pressure off so that the showmare could walk on her bad hoof without too much trouble.

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant walk – every step still gave her a twinge of pain through her leg – but this time it was only the tiniest prickle. She had to admit that it was a lot easier this way than trying to walk on her own, as she had done the night before. And more comfortable too – having the chill wind replaced by a gentle, fluffy warm thing at her side was a definite improvement...

Shaking herself, Trixie tried to refocus. With Twilight’s help, she was making steady progress across the room – it was maybe a minute or two before they reached their target. As they came to a halt, Twilight pulled back just enough to look Trixie in the eye.

“Doing okay?” she asked.

“Y-Yes, Trixie is fine…” The warm smile with which Twilight regarded her made the blush on Trixie's cheeks feel that much more obvious. “…That way next!” she said hurriedly, picking a direction at random and tugging on Twilight.

As they started moving again, Twilight creased her brow. “You don’t want a rest?”

Trixie shook her head emphatically. “No.”

“Okay,” said Twilight, turning to smile forwards again. “If you do, just say so. I don’t mind.”

“How can you be so relaxed, Twilight Sparkle?” Trixie found herself asking, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

Twilight chuckled a little. “That’s simple – I like dancing.”

All at once, Trixie stomped the ground, yelped and fell forwards, pulling Twilight with her. Fumbling hooves flew all over the place and, the next thing Trixie knew, she was collapsed atop Twilight, who was, herself, sprawled out on the library floor.

Gaping down at the dazed purple unicorn, Trixie worried that she might have given her a concussion. A moment later though, Twilight blinked up at her, then snickered, before finally breaking down into a giggle fit. Either Trixie had given her a concussion, or Twilight was in for an earful of scolding...

Trixie beat her good hoof against Twilight's chest. “You said you wouldn't fall over!” she yelled, though her voice came out a little shakily. Twilight giggled harder, trying in vain to grasp at her sides.

Trixie's face felt as if it was glowing red, and all she could manage was to gaze down at Twilight in exasperation. And then she felt a bubbling in her chest. Her body started to rattle. She bit her lip, but it did no good...

A tidal wave of giggles welled up inside her and overflowed, leaving the two unicorns paralysed with laughter on the lobby floor. Trixie had no idea what she was doing, she only knew that she couldn't stop whilst Twilight's mirth was infecting her – utterly irresistible.

For the longest time, they just laid there – laughing – and when it finally started to die down, Trixie had to wipe her eyes on her foreleg to dry the tears. She put a hoof beside Twilight's head and pushed herself up so that she could look her attacker in the eye with a beaming smile.

Twilight smiled back more honestly than Trixie had ever seen. When Twilight opened her mouth to speak, an alarm went off in Trixie's head. For once though, the sudden urge to make a quip or jibe was strangely easy to resist. She ignored it, eager to see whether Twilight would do the same.

She did. After barely a few seconds, Twilight closed her mouth, in favour simply staring up at Trixie.

“Nothing to say?” Trixie asked smugly. “Aren't you going to ask whether Trixie is 'okay'?”

Twilight paused – probably for dramatic effect – before shifting beneath Trixie. “I don't think I need to,” she chirped.

The answer brought a bright smile to Trixie’s face. Revelling in the cuddly warmth against her middle, Trixie felt more comfortable than she had in a long time…

Crash!

The sound snapped both of them back to reality. Trixie jumped to her hooves and stepped aside so that Twilight could do the same. “What in the hoof was that?!” said the purple unicorn, dashing over to the window.

Trixie followed her as quickly as she was able and peered out. It took her a moment to figure out that the mass of yellow colouring the street was actually hay – which had apparently come from the wagon in the middle of the trail. Said wagon looked as if it had been torn apart by some kind of explosion, and the stallion who had presumably been pulling it was scratching his head in utter puzzlement.

Pushing open the window, Twilight called out to him. “Are you alright, sir?”

He looked over at her and frowned in thought for a moment. “I think so… Don’t rightly know what happened but I reckon I’m still in one piece…”

“Thank goodness. Would you like a hoof with your wagon or--”

“No, thank ya kindly, miss. This here’s my mess – I’ll be the one to clean it up.”

Twilight smiled and nodded politely before pulling back inside. For her part, Trixie had found something interesting in the sky. When she squinted, she could just about make out a quickly fading rainbow-trail, leading off into the distance…

“Trixie, are you coming?” asked Twilight.

Shaking her head, Trixie stepped back and closed the window before turning to Twilight. “Trixie thought she saw something…”

“Really?” Twilight cocked her head and made to take another look out of the window. “What was it?”

Trixie opened her mouth to say, but her tongue held itself. Twilight didn’t need to know – it probably wasn’t even important anyway. Although, there was only one aptly-named pony she knew that could’ve made such a trail…

“…It’s nothing,” she decided finally. “Let’s just get back to what we were doing.”

* * *

In the company of Twilight Sparkle, the next few hours passed quickly for Trixie. They managed several circuits of the lobby without any more interruptions or tumbles, and they were starting to make progress on the therapy front. At least, that's what Twilight kept insisting...

When the time came for Twilight to take her leave and join her other friend at the schoolhouse, she asked that Trixie come along. Despite her reservations towards Rainbow Dash, Trixie found herself agreeing, if only to see what was so 'fun' about lecturing a class full of children.

The two of them strode down the trail, staying close but not touching, and eventually drew near to the school building. A certain rainbow-maned pegasus was waiting for them, hovering just outside the door. She did not look happy. Her fetlocks were folded across her chest and she was holding her glare firmly on Trixie all the way up the path.

“Rainbow! Sorry I'm late!” Twilight chirped, trotting forward and smiling up at her.

Rainbow turned her glare on Twilight. “What is she doing here?” she spat, throwing a hoof towards Trixie. “Since when do we bring tag-alongs?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “If that was supposed to be an insult, then you'd better try harder. Besides, Trixie isn't a ‘tag-along’, she's Twilight’s 'friend'.”

“Yeah?” grunted Rainbow, meeting her eyes again. “Decided that this morning, did ya?”

“Yes, actually!” said Trixie, turning her nose up.

“Rainbow...” whispered Twilight unsubtly. “Didn't we talk about--”

Rainbow interrupted her with a hoof wave. “Yeah, yeah, I didn't forget. But--”

The door to the schoolhouse swung open a little, revealing the questioning face of a purple-ish earth pony mare. When she saw the three of them, she smiled welcomingly. “Oh, Twilight! Rainbow Dash! I wasn't expecting you for another few minutes! Are you feeling alright, Twilight?”

“I'm just fine,” said Twilight, creasing her brow and smiling awkwardly. “Why do ponies always get surprised when I'm not exactly on time?” The earth pony exchanged a look with Rainbow Dash, but they both stayed silent. “Oh! Where are my manners?” Twilight continued. “Cheerilee, this is Tr-- I mean, the Great and Powerful Trixie. And Trixie, this is Cheerilee – she teaches here at the school.”

“Oh my! The mare from the story?” said Cheerilee, excitement obvious on her face.

Trixie gave her a questioning look. “...Story?”

“The very same,” chirped Twilight. “Do you mind if she joins us for visiting today?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Was that an open question?”

Twilight gave a nervous sort of laugh as Cheerilee glanced between the two of them. “Ahaha... Would you excuse us for a moment?” Without waiting for an answer, she trotted around the corner of the schoolhouse. Though obviously reluctant, Rainbow followed her, leaving Trixie alone with Cheerilee in awkward silence.

“...What story?” said Trixie finally.

Cheerilee cocked her head to one side in curiosity. “Oh? I thought Twilight would have told you...” Trixie shook her head. Blinking off her surprise, the teacher pony adopted her smile again. “Well, last week, Twilight and Rainbow Dash – mostly Rainbow Dash – told the story of how Twilight came to your rescue in the Everfree forest.”

Trixie cringed. “Rescue?” she repeated through gritted teeth.

“I'm sure that the children would love to ask you some questions about it,” Cheerilee went on, completely ignoring her. “In fact, I've already had a few of them come up and ask me if you were alright – they're a very sweet group, really.”

Trixie glanced towards the corner around which Twilight and Rainbow had disappeared. She could almost make out what they were saying... “That's... nice,” she said vaguely, trying to focus on Twilight's voice.

“Would you like to come in and meet them?” Cheerilee offered. “If you'll just give me a moment, I'll go and get them ready for your visit.”

“Uh huh,” grunted Trixie.

Once Cheerilee had disappeared through the door, the pair of bickering voices became a lot clearer. Trixie took a few cautious steps closer and pressed herself up against the wall, listening in.

“--I don't understand! I thought you said we were okay, that you were going to take it easy on her!”

“We are! And I am! Or, I was... Until this morning anyway...”

“What do you mean? What changed this morning?”

“Pfft! Don't act so innocent, Twi' – you think I don't know what's goin' on?”

“I... I have no idea what you're talking about--”

“Girl stuff? Really? That was some kind of girl stuff, Twilight.”

“What? ...Did you talk to Spike?”

“Yeah, then I came over to your place to see what the deal was and what did I find? You two dancing around the library like a pair of fillies!”

Trixie's face began to grow warm again at the very mention of dancing, but she quickly shook it off and leant in to listen more closely.

“It wasn't like that, Rainbow! I wouldn't abandon you so that I could play with Trixie!”

“Uh huh. Well that's sure how it looked to me. And how about this – I rub my eyes to check that I'm not seeing things, and next thing I know, you're on the floor, laughing your flanks off. Go on, explain how that's not playing.”

“Rainbow, please! What's gotten into you?”

“I... nothing! ...Alright, fine then – what were you doing?”

“I-I... Oh, well, we... um...”

Trixie bit her lip as Twilight continued to stammer and Rainbow simply waited in silence. Unable to contain her curiosity, Trixie took another step forward and peered around the corner. Rainbow Dash was hovering in midair, glaring daggers at poor Twilight, whose ears were flattened and eyes near-tearful.

“Please, tell me,” Rainbow spat, throwing a hoof out in exasperation. “Unless it's something you'd rather keep between you and Trixie.”

“I... I can't,” said Twilight, shaking her head. She looked up at Rainbow pleadingly. “She trusted me, I can't tell you what we were doing. I'm sorry...”

Rainbow rolled her eyes cruelly. “Yeah, I figured as much...” She started to fly away, then turned right back around and flew up to Twilight. “You know what? I trusted you, Twi'. I hope whatever you were doing was a big deal, 'cause--”

“She was helping me!”

Before she knew what she was doing, Trixie was around the corner and glaring down Rainbow Dash, who retreated in surprise.

“She... what?” said the pegasus, regaining her balance and returning Trixie's glower.

Trixie demonstrated her bad hoof by rolling it out. “My leg is hurt! I need to walk on it normally or else it won't heal properly. But I can't do that on my own – Twilight was helping me so that it didn't hurt so much when I tried to walk, you stupid pegasus!”

The anger in Rainbow's eyes melted away, until all that was left was a stunned, blank stare. Her jaw loose, she slowly floated down to the ground and landed on her haunches. Trixie's face was searing hot, and she didn't soften her glare for a second.

“O-Oh...” croaked Rainbow, her gaze falling to the ground. She turned to look over at Twilight for confirmation. The purple unicorn just stared solemnly back at her…

Ever so slowly, Rainbow leaned forwards, spread her hooves out in front of her and finally buried her face in them. “...Ponyfeathers...”

With Rainbow unquestionably 'out-of-it', Trixie took a soothing breath and turned to check on Twilight. Her face said that she had no idea what to think. To be honest, Trixie couldn't blame her – first Rainbow's outburst, then Trixie's own... the poor mare probably needed to lie down with some chocolate to clear her head...

Putting one hoof after the other, Twilight staggered across the war-torn playground towards Trixie, though it was as if she was looking past her, rather than at her. As she drew near, Trixie felt like she should say something to break the silence, but no words availed her. Finally coming to a stop in front of her, Twilight leaned in, completely wordless, put her head beside Trixie's and planted a warm kiss on her cheek.

Mesmerized, Trixie managed only a blank stare as Twilight pulled back and turned next towards Rainbow Dash, still not meeting her eyes. The bookish unicorn shambled up behind the defeated pegasus, fell to her knees and put her fetlocks around Rainbow's neck. It was possibly the most awkward-looking hug that Trixie had ever seen, but neither of them made any attempt to move out of it.

Silence...

Trixie carefully lifted her bad hoof to touch the spot where Twilight had kissed her. Such a simple, random gesture... and somehow it said so much...

'I know how hard that was for you...'

'You were very brave to admit that you needed help...'

'...Thank you.'

Lips curling up into a smile, Trixie watched in silence as Twilight embraced Rainbow. Obviously, Twilight thought that she deserved a random gesture too. Maybe she did... Or maybe Twilight was just especially 'kind'.

A noise drew Trixie's attention to a window that she hadn't noticed, built in to the side of the schoolhouse. It was packed with young colts and fillies, pressed up against the glass and watching. Cheerilee's face could be seen over their heads – she was biting her lip and looking at Trixie for help.

Drawing on her talents as a showmare, Trixie cleared her throat, flicked back her mane and turned to frown at the children. “Well?” she said. “Where is our applause? Surely you don't expect Trixie to put on a unique, improvised performance for you all, without receiving at least an applause in return?” She threw a meaningful glance at Cheerilee, who caught on quickly.

“Y-Yes! Of course! Come on, class – an applause for the Great and Powerful Trixie and her, er... performance!”

“Aw, they were just acting?” groaned a filly with a tiara in her mane. “Boring.” Despite her complaints, she joined in on the applause – although a little less enthusiastically than the others.

Even if it was muffled by the glass and coming from a very small group in the first place, Trixie couldn't help but smirk proudly as the applause reached her ears. Turning to Twilight, she found – to her surprise – that the purple unicorn was looking right back at her with a wide smile on her face, even as she continued to hold Rainbow Dash close to her chest…

…There was definitely something special about that mare.

* * *

9 - A Great And Powerful Partner (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter nine: A Great And Powerful Partner
(Act One Finale)

Trixie volunteered to handle the school visit that day – as Twilight was too busy taking care of Rainbow. She wasn't sure what went on in there - some kind of magic show from what she could hear - but Trixie emerged with a smile on her face and the children cheered and waved for her as Twilight had never seen them.

For her part, Rainbow was distraught. She said she promised to keep what Trixie had said between the three of them, so as not to cause 'any more damage than she already had'. Twilight assured the poor pegasus that they were okay, and that she hadn't done anything wrong, but Rainbow simply smiled and pretended to take the words to heart. In reality, she was hurting. Twilight could see it, but there was nothing she could think to say or do that could fix her, other than to constantly tell her that it was 'okay'...

The following day, Pinkie Pie held one of her trademark Pinkie Parties, the same one that Twilight had agreed to clean up after a week before. Trixie opted out – which wasn't too surprising, considering her first experience. Rainbow Dash was there though, and all of a sudden she seemed to be back to her usual self – laughing, playing and smiling along with the rest of her friends. Twilight spent much of the evening trying to figure out what had changed, or whether Rainbow was just pretending for her benefit, which seemed a lot more likely... She never did get an answer, but Pinkie Pie, at least, seemed to think she was still 'the usual Dashie'.

Over the next few days, Twilight saw very little of Rainbow or her other friends, since she spent pretty much every waking moment in Trixie's company. They practised walking around the library and even sneaked out at night a couple of times to take a walk near the forest, away from the prying eyes of Ponyville. Trixie's leg grew a little stronger every day, as did the bond of trust between she and Twilight. Before long, moving together was as easy as... well, dancing.

Late one night, the two mares set out on one of their walks. This time, Trixie seemed eager to take the lead, and Twilight was all too happy to follow her...

“So, where are we going?” Twilight asked as she and Trixie trotted over the bridge leading out of Ponyville proper.

“Just a little further,” Trixie said with a smirk. “You'll see.”

Twilight gave her a sidelong look. “You're awfully mysterious all of a sudden.”

“Trixie is always mysterious. That's part of her job.” The showmare put her nose in the air proudly.

With a chuckle, Twilight turned back to the trail ahead. “If you say so, Miss Great and Powerful.”

The night was a little chilly, but Trixie had chosen to leave her cape at home. She always did when they went out like this – it tended to get in the way. It didn't really matter though – the closeness they shared kept them warm enough.

Their walk soon took them off of the trail itself and up the slope of a rolling hill. When they crested it, Trixie slowed down and finally brought them to a halt.

“This is it?” Twilight asked, glancing around as Trixie lifted herself free. It seemed to be... just a hilltop.

“Not quite,” said Trixie. She took a step forwards and her horn lit up with a purple light. Twilight furrowed her brow in question for a moment, before a bright flash forced her to cover her eyes.

When she came back to her senses, she saw a covered basket laying in the middle of the hilltop. “...A picnic basket?” she guessed, stepping up alongside Trixie to get a better look.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Very observant, Sparkle. Now help me unpack.”

As the showmare lifted out a checkered blanket and laid it out on the grassy ground, Twilight regarded her questioningly. “Well, this is a surprise... Is there some kind of special occasion or something that I missed?”

“It's just a picnic,” said Trixie coolly. “Trixie doesn't need a special occasion – she sees ponies do it all the time. And aren't you forgetting something?”

Twilight blinked at Trixie as she finished unloading the contents of the basket – a flask, two mugs and a pair of wrapped sandwiches. When Trixie had finished, she vanished the basket with another flash and looked at Twilight expectantly. “Well?”

“Well what?” said Twilight, cocking her head.

“The summoning spell,” Trixie deadpanned. “You're not impressed?”

Twilight's eyes went wide. “Oh! Of course – well done, Trixie!”

With a roll of the eyes, Trixie stepped forwards and laid down atop the blanket. “Whatever. Trixie is sure she'll find somepony else who appreciates her awesome magic.”

Twilight felt her face heating up. “N-No, I appreciate it, Trixie!” she said hurriedly, jumping forwards to stand beside her. “Thank you for this, really!”

“Yes, yes,” said Trixie dismissively. “Sit down, will you?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. She padded around to find a comfy spot, then laid down on her front alongside Trixie, wondering what she was up to. She watched as the showmare poured two mugs of apple juice from the flask, taking one for herself and passing the other across. Twilight took it with an uncertain smile and sipped it as she waited for an explanation...

“...Nice night,” Trixie commented.

Twilight frowned at her.

She didn't have to say anything – Trixie got the gist of it just from that look. She sighed. “Alright... Trixie has something to tell you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh?” said Twilight, smiling expectantly.

Trixie's eyes fell to the blanket. “It's actually something that Trixie should've told you a while ago... Do you remember when Trixie said she was 'just passing through' Ponyville, to go somewhere else? That... wasn't completely true.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I kind of figured that out,” she muttered. “Go on.”

Trixie closed her eyes for a moment before looking sideways at Twilight. “Trixie was on her way here to meet somepony.”

“...Somepony?”

“You,” said Trixie abruptly. “I was coming to see you.”

Twilight's heart leapt. “O-Oh, really?” she said, trying to sound casual. “What for?”

“I'm getting to that!” Trixie snapped. She cleared her throat and looked out towards the starry horizon in thought. “I guess I should just show you...”

Trixie's horn lit up again with the very same glow as before. A flash of light, and a small, brown-papered envelope appeared in midair. It hovered slowly down to land in front of the showmare, where she stared at it for a long moment.

Then she lowered her nose and pushed it over to Twilight. “Go ahead.”

Grasping the thing in her magic, Twilight eyed it curiously. There was no address other than the word 'Trixie' on the front, elegantly horn-written. With a quick glance at Trixie to check that it was okay, Twilight magically reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

Unfolding it revealed an entire letter written in the same scrawl. She shone a little more hornlight on it and leaned in for a better look...

“...'Dearest Trixie'?” she read aloud, furrowing her brow. She glanced across at the showmare. “Are you sure it's okay for me to--”

“Yes,” said Trixie shortly. “Please, just read it.”

Twilight blinked at her, then nodded and turned back to the letter...

Dearest Trixie,

I know that it's been a while since we last spoke, so I hope that this letter doesn't come as too great a surprise. I didn't know where to find you – I never do – so I hired this courier to track you down. I trust that he made good time delivering this to you, and that it hasn't arrived too late.

I've enclosed something that I think you'll find quite interesting. You recognize the seal on the invitation, I assume? The Royal Seal of Princess Celestia herself, given in person. Naturally, it wasn't too difficult a task – I just pulled a little of the old charm and she was eating out of my hooves...

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight muttered. She looked up at Trixie. “What is this?”

“Keep reading.”

...I'm sure you'd love to hear the juicy details, perhaps we should meet up for dinner when you get to town? That is, unless you're thinking of not showing up. I suppose that wouldn't come as too great of a surprise though – even if you could find somepony to partner with you, which I doubt, there still wouldn't be any competition between us, would there?

Well, teasing aside, I know you can't resist a challenge, so consider this a formal one. Trixie Lulamoon – my partner and I shall await thee in Manehattan. If the courier did his job right, you should have plenty of time to find yourself a partner and meet us there. Don't be late.

Oh, and don't worry about paying me back for the ticket – the look on your face when I thrash you in front of the entire Big City will be more than payment enough.

Yours always,
~Flaire

As Twilight finished reading, she flipped the letter over, just to make sure there was nothing more. The other side was blank.

“Vexatious, isn't he?” Trixie spat.

Twilight turned to her with raised eyebrows. “Vexatious? I didn't think anypony else knew that word...”

“I learned it especially for him,” said Trixie darkly.

“...I take it you don't like this... Flaire, then?” Twilight guessed.

Trixie scoffed and snatched the letter back a little more forcefully than necessary. “Don't like him? He's the bane of my life! Such a stuck-up, arrogant, self-obsessed ba--”

“Yeah,” Twilight interrupted. “I think I get it.” With a huff, Trixie turned to stare down at the letter in silence. Twilight shook her head and frowned. “An invitation, the Royal Seal, Manehattan... What's this all about, Trixie?”

“Isn't it obvious?” said Trixie, throwing her a quizzical look. “The Manehattan Display – the biggest, most popular magic show in all of Equestria? Don't tell me you haven't heard of it...”

“The Manehattan Display?” Twilight repeated, raising her eyebrows again. “O-Of course I've heard of it! I've been a couple of times myself, when I was younger... it's a wonderful event! But I don't remember needing an invitation. Unless--” She broke off and glanced at the letter. “Are you saying you've been invited to compete?”

“That's exactly what I'm saying,” Trixie hissed. She vanished the letter and rested her chin moodily atop the blanket.

Twilight leaned in a little closer. “What's the matter? You don't want to compete?”

“Are you kidding? Any unicorn would give their left hoof to get in on that show,” said Trixie. She cringed a second after the words left her mouth, and Twilight felt a pang of empathy. “...Stupid choice of words... but you know what I mean. I really want to compete.”

“Then what's the problem?” asked Twilight hopelessly.

Trixie closed her eyes tight and screwed up her lips. “...I have to win,” she pouted.

Twilight backed away and blinked. She didn't have to ask 'why?' – it was pretty obvious that she and Flaire had some bad blood between them. But what she did have to wonder was why Trixie thought 'having to win' was a problem. Wasn't this the pony who was convinced that she was the Greatest, most Powerful unicorn in all of Equestria?

“...No offence, Trixie, but that doesn't seem very--”

“Great and Powerful?” Trixie offered.

“--Very you,” Twilight finished.

Trixie huffed. She didn't even bother dragging her chin off of the blanket before casting another summoning spell. This time, a small, red slip of fancy-looking paper appeared before Trixie. She passed it to Twilight.

'She is pretty good at that spell,' Twilight mused as she took the slip with her own magic. It was, without a doubt, an invitation to compete in the Display, with the Royal Seal itself pressed in the corner. It was addressed to 'Trixie Lulamoon and her partner'...

“The Manehattan Display is a partner-based event,” said Trixie sadly. “That's the problem.”

Twilight lowered the slip and eyed her curiously. “You mean you couldn't find a partner?”

Trixie scoffed. “Of course I could find one. If I just asked, I'm sure ponies would be practically lining up...”

“So... why don't you?”

“Because I don't want just anypony to be my partner,” said Trixie, throwing her a glare. “Some second-rate unicorn off the street would just slow me down. The Great and Powerful Trixie needs a Great and Powerful partner if she's going to win the Display.”

“Oh...” muttered Twilight. That made sense, she supposed – Trixie wouldn't settle for anything less than the best. But-- “Wait a second...” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow meaningfully. The pieces fell into place.

“Oh no, you don't-- You can't mean me?” said Twilight fearfully.

Rolling her eyes again, Trixie picked her chin up and turned to throw Twilight a 'seriously?' look. “If I didn't mean you, we wouldn't be having this conversation.”

Twilight shook her head. “B-But I-- Why me?”

“Why do you think?” said Trixie. “You vanquished an Ursa Minor by yourself. I've never met anypony else who can do that. So, when I got that letter a few weeks later, you were the first pony I thought of.”

Twilight let out a breath, somewhere between a drained sigh and an exasperated huff. “You went through all this just to ask me to be your partner in some contest?”

Trixie glared. “It's not just 'some contest'! It's important!”

“Obviously important enough to risk your life going through the Everfree forest,” said Twilight darkly. Trixie drew back in surprise as Twilight went on. “Couldn't you have just written me a letter or something?”

“N-No, I couldn't!” she threw back. “Do you think it was that easy, asking for your help? Especially after you showed me up?”

“Trixie, you know it wasn't like that--”

“I know!” huffed Trixie, shooting to her hooves. She frowned at Twilight for a second before turning away and trotting over to the other edge of the blanket. “But that's not what it looked like, back then. I was... angry with you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight's face found its own frown as she stared at the back of Trixie's head. “...But you came back here anyway. What changed?”

“Nothing,” Trixie hissed. “I couldn't ask you when I got here either, remember?”

Twilight cocked her head. “I don't understand...”

Trixie sighed and hung her head. Confused, Twilight got to her hooves and trotted towards her. She stopped when the showmare turned to look at her determinedly. “Trixie thought that it would be easier if she saw you in person. But it wasn't... Seeing you again just made things worse...”

“Oh, Trixie...” Twilight made to take another step forward, but the azure unicorn just shook her head dismissively.

“But that was before. Trixie understands properly now...” She fixed Twilight with an earnest stare. “You said that sometimes, strength is having the courage to just ask your friends for help. Well, I was weak back then, and we weren't friends. That's different now...”

Twilight pursed her lips.

The showmare stepped closer, until the two of them were barely a hoof's distance apart. “It has to be you, Twilight. Trixie-- I mean, I can't do this alone...” She lifted her good hoof and extended it towards Twilight. “...Please.”

The word had just about the same effect as a buck to the stomach, made even worse by what Twilight knew she had to say next...

“...I'm sorry, Trixie,” she muttered. “I can't...”

Trixie's gaze fell to the ground, and her hoof slowly followed. “Trixie was afraid you would say that.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “Let me guess – it's because you don't want to be famous?”

“It's a little more complicated than that,” Twilight muttered. “But... yeah. Please try to understand, Trixie, it's not that--”

“Oh, I understand,” Trixie threw back with a glare. “I guess you're only helpful when it suits you, after all.”

“That's not true!” said Twilight desperately. “I'd love to help, but what can I do? I'm the Princess' student, I can't go showing off in an event like that!”

“Why not?!”

“Because--” Twilight broke off, feeling her face begin to heat up. She closed her eyes and turned away. “...I just can't.”

The silence that followed was awful. She wished that Trixie would say something, anything, to make her feel like less of a cruel, selfish pony. When she finally chanced open her eyes though, Twilight saw that Trixie had her back turned completely.

“...I thought we were friends,” the showmare grumbled.

Alarm bells went off all through Twilight's body, and she felt a sickening feeling in her stomach. “Please, don't do that,” she begged, even as her vision started to grow foggy. She tried to blink it clear, but it did little good.

Trixie stayed silent.

Twilight bit her lip, trying to think of the right thing to say, or do. Anything would have done right about then, but she just... couldn't. “I... I--” she stammered. It was too much... All energy left the poor, lavender unicorn, and she fell to her haunches in the middle of the blanket.

Pressing her chin into her own chest, Twilight hoped to pretend that this was all just a dream. A bad dream where she wouldn't even help her friend when asked. A tear escaped her eye...

'Why am I feeling this way?' she wondered hopelessly. 'Why am I crying?'

“...Twilight?”

She screwed up her eyes at the sound of the showmare's voice. Trixie probably didn't even want to be her friend anymore. Twilight wouldn't blame her. “I'm sorry, Trixie...”

“...No,” said Trixie. “That's not fair.”

Twilight shook her head. Trixie was right – it wasn't fair at all, for Twilight to say 'no' based on such selfish reasons. And they were selfish, she couldn't lie to herself about that... She just wanted to go home, pull her pillow over her head and--

Something warm and fluffy brushed against Twilight's fetlock. Craning open her eyes, she saw Trixie sitting in front of her – with a hopeless look on her face and with one hoof reaching out to rub softly against Twilight's.

Trixie paused, staring into her eyes for the longest time before finally leaning forwards so that their necks crossed in a hug. Twilight drew a sharp breath... Trixie had never hugged her before... Why now, of all times?

“I... didn't mean it,” Trixie muttered quietly. “That was a stupid thing to say...”

Twilight choked – kind of a half-laughing, half-sobbing breath. “No, you're right...” she huffed, hanging limp in Trixie's grasp. “Some friend I am...”

Trixie went quiet again, but she didn't pull back. The cuddle was reassuring enough to hold back Twilight's tears, and she managed to get by with only a few sniffles. “...This really matters to you, doesn't it?” Twilight asked, dreading the answer that she knew was coming.

“...More than anything,” said Trixie.

There it was. Twilight breathed a lazy huff and wrapped her hooves around Trixie's back, squeezing her eyes shut as she braced herself. Having heard Trixie say that, there was really no other choice...

“...Okay,” Twilight said simply.

She'd expected to suddenly feel a lot different – a lot better – but she didn't. She didn't feel anything at all. Maybe because she wasn't sure that Trixie had heard...

Twilight gulped down her reservations and pulled back from the embrace. Feeling this, Trixie did the same. Her eyes weren't tearful, but they definitely had a certain shine to them... She gave Twilight a questioning look.

“Okay,” Twilight repeated.

“...Okay?” said Trixie, cocking her head.

Twilight leant forwards and touched her nose against Trixie's, so that all she could see were the showmare's shining, amethyst eyes. “Okay,” Twilight said, with as much fervour as she could muster.

Trixie blinked. It took her all of two seconds to figure it out, and her eyes went wider than Twilight had ever seen them. The glistening didn't go away, nor did the wetness in Twilight's own eyes...

“W-What?” Trixie muttered. “But you were--”

Shaking her head ever so slightly, Twilight pushed harder against Trixie. “It doesn't matter. I... I care about you, Trixie. And, if this is really that important to you, then I care about it too.”

Twilight couldn't see Trixie's cheeks, but judging by the look in her eye, they were probably just as red as Twilight's own. The showmare gulped, blinked, then pushed back. “N-No!” Trixie said. “I care about you too, and you already said you don't want to! I won't let you ignore that just for me!”

Twilight pushed back even harder, evening up with Trixie. She stared determinedly into the showmare's eyes for the longest time, not daring to blink. The words hung on the tip of her tongue. She could've held them – let Trixie have her way. But at the same time, she couldn't...

“...Just try and stop me,” Twilight said.

Something clicked within her. What, where, why or how, she didn't know. But something clicked. The same, exact thing happened to Trixie – Twilight could see it in her eyes...

Slowly, she tipped her head downwards and closed her eyes, not quite sure what she was doing. Trixie followed suit. Their horns brushed together – magic sparking between them – until they finally came to a stop, side by side, as Twilight and Trixie pressed their heads up against each other and a long awaited silence fell over the hilltop...

'...Some picnic,' Twilight thought.

* * *

11 - Operation Rainbow Dash (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter eleven: Operation Rainbow Dash

Twilight wobbled about atop the concentrated cloud-stuff that made up Rainbow Dash's porch. Her new cloud-walking spell left a lot to be desired – her hooves kept sinking into the floor, and she worried that if she stood still for too long, she'd slip right through. But then again, unicorns weren't supposed to walk on clouds, and she had sort of thrown the spell together in a single evening...

'I'm probably lucky that it's working at all,' she thought with a gulp.

She managed to find her way up to the door – made, rather confusingly, of wood, rather than more clouds. She shook her head. She wasn't here to try and grasp the intricacies of pegasus magic. She was here to see Rainbow Dash.

Shifting in place uneasily, she brought up a hoof and rapped on the door.

“Come on up, 'Shy!” came Rainbow's voice from above. With a start, Twilight looked up, but there was nopony there. She took a few steps back and saw that there was an open window up on what must have been the first floor.

“I-It's not Fluttershy,” Twilight called back. “And I can't fly...”

A moment passed before a rainbow-maned head poked out through the window. Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrows when she caught sight of the unicorn on her porch. “Twi'?! What are you... How are you up here?”

Suddenly reminded that she was slipping again, Twilight quickly hopped to one side. She threw Rainbow a sheepish grin. “Um, magic. Could you come down here for a minute? I want to talk.”

Rainbow's mouth formed an 'o' and her brows creased as she watched Twilight stumble about. “Uh... are you really there, or am I still asleep?”

“Rainbow!”

“Alright, alright!” The pegasus jumped from her window and glided smoothly down to alight beside Twilight, throwing a seriously doubtful look at the unicorn's hooves as she did. “...Why are you dancing?”

Twilight felt her cheeks heating up. “I-It's part of the spell!” she lied.

“Well, stop it – it's creeping me out!” said Rainbow, striding forwards. Before Twilight could object, Rainbow unfurled a wing, held it up to her mouth and bit down on one of the feathers.

Twilight yelped and shut her eyes as Rainbow yanked out the plume. “Rainbow, what--”

She broke off with a start as something brushed against her ear. Craning open an eye, Twilight saw the sky blue pegasus stepping back and folding her wing again.

“There,” Rainbow said simply.

Curious as to why she was suddenly not sinking, Twilight lowered her head and brought a hoof up to feel around her ear. There was a perfectly smooth feather tucked behind it. She looked up at Rainbow slowly. “...Does that work?”

“For a few minutes,” said Rainbow off-hoofedly. “So, what'd you want to talk about?”

Twilight blinked. “...You can just... pull out one of your feathers and...”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, but Twilight noticed a twinge of red creeping onto her face. “Well, you don't do it for just anypony,” the pegasus muttered. “Anyway, like I said, it doesn't last long, so...”

“Right!” said Twilight, snapping back to reality. “Um, I was wondering if we could take a walk? You know, to the schoolhouse, rather than meeting up at the diner and going from there and... I mean, I know it's a little early and everything, but...” She trailed off, suddenly feeling very guilty – she'd just made Rainbow yank out one of her lovely feathers, after all...

“A walk?” Rainbow repeated, more surprised than sceptical. “Like... just us two? No Trixie?”

Twilight shook her head. “She's staying in today. I thought you and I could do with some time alone...”

Rainbow gulped obviously. “Y-You did?”

“Yeah. I mean, yesterday you flew off so fast that we didn't really have a chance to talk,” said Twilight, cocking her head to the side.

“Oh... right. Sorry about that,” said Rainbow, glancing away as she did. A moment later, she blinked and turned to smile over at Twilight. “But yeah, okay – a walk sounds good! Just, uh, give me a sec and I'll be right down, okay?”

Twilight nodded and returned the smile. As Rainbow took off on an energetic flight path and zoomed back in through her window, Twilight reached up to touch the feather again. She wondered why she'd never heard of that kind of gesture before – sharing pegasus magic by giving a plume. Maybe nopony knew? Maybe it was a pegasus secret? Or maybe only Rainbow Dash could do it? She'd have to do some research... another time.

In any case, it gave her a warm feeling of reassurance in her chest, to know that Rainbow had trusted her with one of her feathers. She made sure that it sat comfortably behind her ear before trotting towards the edge of the cloud.

Peering over the edge, she focused on the grassy hilltop far below and channelled magic into her horn. No sooner had she closed her eyes to blink than she found herself standing atop said hill. She smiled to herself. Even with official, pegasus cloud-walking magic to support her, it felt a whole lot better to be back on solid ground.

Rainbow Dash swooped down soon after, announcing that she was ready to go, and together they set off in the direction of the trail.

* * *

The late morning air was crisp and gentle – almost relaxing – as Twilight and Rainbow made their steady way towards the schoolhouse. But now that the two of them were this close, the questions weighing on Twilight's mind were starting to make her uncomfortable...

Rainbow cleared her throat. “So, uh, how's Trixie's leg doing?” she asked awkwardly. “Seemed a lot better yesterday.”

“It's healing up nicely,” Twilight granted with a frown. “Um... can we not talk about Trixie? If that's alright...”

Rainbow cast her a sidelong look and raised her eyebrows. “Oh, uh... sure--” She let out a breath, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, before smiling. “--Well, did you have something else in mind?”

Twilight gulped resolutely. “I want to talk about you,” she said. Well, that was a start...

“What about me?” said Rainbow, her smile wavering as she looked ahead.

“She told me what you said yesterday,” Twilight muttered. “About leaving...”

Rainbow gave a grunt. “I'll bet she did...”

Twilight quickened her pace to try and get ahead so that she could meet her friend's eyes properly. “I don't understand, Rainbow. Is it something Trixie said to you? Or--” She hesitated. “H-Have I done something?”

“Don't be dumb, Twi' – you haven't done anything wrong,” said Rainbow firmly.

Picking up on that, Twilight slid closer. “So it is Trixie? What did she say?”

“Thought we weren't talking about her?” Rainbow threw back defensively. During the silence that followed, she met Twilight's eyes and saw the frown on the lavender unicorn's face. Rainbow sighed. “No. It's not her fault. It's neither of you. I just... There're some stupid thoughts bouncing around in my head, you know? I just need some time away – a week or two – then I'll be back to normal...”

Somehow, that wasn't very reassuring...

“What kind of thoughts?” said Twilight.

Rainbow huffed again. “It's dumb. I'm not going to explain it... hay, I don't even know if I could explain it--”

“Try.”

Rainbow stopped in the middle of the trail, and Twilight had to swivel around to keep eye contact. She gave the purple unicorn a searching look, as if she was actually considering it.

“Come on,” Twilight pressed as an idea struck her. “You're Rainbow Dash! Since when don't you do something just because you're not sure you can do it?”

Rainbow glanced down at the ground in thought, then closed her eyes. “...Fine, you want to hear it?”

Twilight grunted her confirmation, which Rainbow seemed none too pleased by. The strangely-acting pegasus took a breath, snapped open her eyes and suddenly trotted onwards down the trail. Twilight hurried up alongside her.

As they walked on at a much brisker pace, Twilight waited patiently for Rainbow to continue. Pushing her like that wasn't easy, but Twilight really needed to know.

“You and Trixie,” said Rainbow slowly. “Seeing you two together is... I don't know – it's weird. It makes me feel all... itchy.”

“Itchy?” Twilight repeated.

'I'm sure the Nurse has some cream for that...'

“I said it was dumb!” Rainbow threw back. “That's the only way I can describe it.”

“So, you're saying you feel uncomfortable when Trixie and I are hanging out?” said Twilight. “Like yesterday?”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, that just makes me sound like a jerk. I'm not asking you to stop seeing her or anything, I just...” She trailed off.

Twilight racked her brain. She knew she could figure out what the problem was if she thought hard enough. With all the books she'd read on psychology, the solution had to be up there somewhere.

Then her face lit up. “You're jealous!” she cried, with a lot more cheer than was appropriate. That became doubly obvious when Rainbow opened her mouth to retort, closed it again and turned away, her cheeks reddening.

With a quick cough to clear her throat, Twilight subdued her voice to a normal level. “S-Sorry. But that's it, isn't it? You're jealous that I'm spending so much time with her.”

“Could you not call it that, please?” Rainbow muttered, a barb obvious in her tone. But that pretty much confirmed it.

Twilight's elation quickly left her. Had she really been spending so much time with Trixie that she was neglecting her other friends? Did they have reason to be jealous of Trixie? Did everypony else feel that way too?

“Twilight, don't freak out,” Rainbow warned, obviously noticing the panicked look in her eye. It was too late for that...

Twilight stopped in the middle of the trail, a fourth and much more disturbing question worming its way to the front of her mind. She turned to Rainbow and her heart started to beat faster. “A-Am I a bad friend?”

“Twilight!” A hoof on her cheek and a firm voice calling her name snapped her out of it before she could descend further into her panic. Rainbow leant close so that their snouts were all but touching. “Don't. Freak. Out.”

Their eyes remained locked for the longest few seconds of Twilight's life. The anxiety slowly started to melt away, and her heart rate gradually slowed back down to normal.

Twilight let out a breath. “...Right,” she managed, nodding to herself. “Right. I'm sorry, that was silly...”

Rainbow gave her a half-amused sort of smile. “No, that was you being an egghead. Don't sweat it.”

Twilight couldn't convince herself not to 'sweat it' though – and not just because Rainbow was so close that it was starting to get uncomfortably warm. Pulling back the tiniest amount, Twilight tried to think objectively. “E-Even if I haven't been a bad friend, I definitely haven't been a good one to you...” she began.

Rainbow sighed and pulled back her hoof. “Don't talk like that, Twi'.”

“What can I do? Do you want us to spend more time together? I can find time, I swear--”

“No,” said Rainbow, turning and starting down the trail again.

“I could come and watch you practise more often!” Twilight tried, hurrying after her.

“No need – we're cool.”

“Or I could keep you company when you have to get up early to clear the sky!”

“Seriously, it's fine.”

Desperate now, Twilight cast about for something meaningful. Without thinking, she latched on to the first thing that sprang to mind. “...I'll come to Cloudsdale with you!”

Rainbow stopped dead, as did Twilight. The pegasus looked over, surprise clear on her face. “D-Don't be stupid!”

Twilight stared resolutely back. Thinking about it, there was no reason that she couldn't go to Cloudsdale with Rainbow and be back in time for the Display, if she was only going for a couple of weeks. It would be a lot of work to come up with an effective cloud-walking spell that would work for that amount of time, but if it meant saving her friendship...

“I'll find a way!” said Twilight firmly.

Rainbow blinked. Silence fell between them as Twilight eagerly awaited her friend's response for what felt like forever.

“...You really would, wouldn't you?” muttered Rainbow.

Twilight could only nod.

For her part, Rainbow's lips curled up into a smile and she took a step closer. “That means a lot, Twi', it seriously does. But listen to me – you don't need to make anything up to me. This is my problem. You haven't done anything wrong, I promise.”

Twilight's heart sank, even though she knew that Rainbow's smile and her words should have brought a little relief...

“I just don't want you to go. I don't understand...” she said hopelessly.

Rainbow closed her eyes for a moment. “Alright, answer me this, Twi'. You've got feelings for Trixie, right?”

Twilight bit her lip uncertainly. “F-Feelings?”

“You like her,” Rainbow deadpanned.

“Well... yes. I do, but--”

Rainbow opened her eyes. “As more than a friend?”

It took a few moments for the words to sink in, and even then, Twilight didn't fully grasp their meaning. Somehow, she was fairly sure that Rainbow wasn't talking about the two of them becoming partners in the Display. “I-I... W... She...”

Twilight continued to stammer as she watched Rainbow chuckle, silent and mirthless. The words wouldn't come, but that was no surprise – she wasn't sure what she was trying to say in the first place.

“Yeah, that's what I thought,” said Rainbow, still smiling as honestly as before. “I get it. And don't worry, I'm not going to tell anypony--”

'Tell anypony what?!' Twilight wondered, starting to feel exasperated.

“--But that's why I've got to go,” Rainbow continued. “If I stay here, I'm just going to get jealouser and jealouser until I do something stupid and uncool.”

“But--”

“Two weeks, Twi',” said Rainbow. “Probably less. Then I'll be back, we can hang out again and you two will be...” She hesitated and looked away. “You'll be... whatever. So don't worry, okay?”

“How can I not worry?” Twilight threw back.

Rainbow nodded towards Twilight's ear. “You've got that.”

“...What?”

“My feather.” Rainbow waved a hoof and smiled. “It's a complicated pegasus thing, it'd take forever to explain... Basically, giving somepony one of your feathers is... a promise--” She paused to curl her lip in thought. “It means... 'I've got your back'. Yeah, something like that. So, as long as you've got that, all you've got to do is call, and I'll come running.”

Twilight blinked and let out an surprised breath. “Really? ...And you just... gave this to me? Just like that?”

“Why not?” said Rainbow coolly. “We're friends, aren't we? Oh, and Fluttershy's got one too, so don't feel too special.” She smirked, but it wavered a moment later. “But, uh... feel kind of special... okay?”

Twilight opened her mouth, closed it again, then grunted as she reached up to make sure that the feather was still there. “I... I do. Thank you,” she muttered, giving Rainbow the first honest smile she'd managed that morning.

A promise like that was more than Twilight could've dared to hope for. If Rainbow could trust her with something so powerful, then she deserved Twilight's trust in return...

“Hey,” said Rainbow, laying a hoof on Twilight's fetlock. The lavender unicorn looked up to meet her smiling eyes. “We're going to be late if we don't get going.”

Twilight stared at her for the shortest of moments, before offering a smile and a nod. “Right. Let's go!”

* * *

Two hours later, Twilight laid in her bed, staring up at her ceiling and lost completely in her thoughts.

If she'd still held any doubt as to whether Rainbow was really going to be alright, it'd evaporated by the end of their school visit. The way she laughed, played and told her usual, madly embellished tales of past adventures with a true smile on her face was a refreshing sight. And when they'd parted outside the schoolhouse, Rainbow had left Twilight with one last, reassuring pat on the shoulder and a promise of “See ya soon.”

Yes – she was going to be alright.

But almost as soon as they'd parted, Twilight's mind had inevitably made its way back to other matters – to the unanswered question with which their talk had left her.

'Is Trixie more than a friend to me?'

The question didn't really make a lot of sense. What was 'more than a friend'? Friendship was friendship, wasn't it?

The dictionary that adorned the floor beside her bed hadn't held any answers, nor had the thesaurus that she'd just tossed in the general direction of her bedside table. She'd really just skimmed through them... and, for once, the prospect of re-reading them more thoroughly wasn't all too appealing. She was just too exhausted.

Twilight grabbed a pillow, hugged it to her chest and sighed. If there was one thing she knew, it was that laying here and trying to think would get her nowhere. And despite that thought nagging constantly at the back of her mind, she couldn't convince herself to get up.

Someone knocked at the door. Twilight still didn't budge. She wasn't really in the mood for entertaining visitors right now. The door was unlocked anyway, so whoever it was could come in if they really needed to.

“Twilight?” came Trixie's muffled voice. “Are you still in there?”

Twilight summoned her warmest voice. “What's up, Trixie?”

“...I'm bored,” came the abrupt reply. “What're you doing?”

Twilight gave a little chuckle-sigh. “Nothing. Just having a lie down – I'm kind of exhausted.”

There was a pause before Trixie spoke again. “I take it you don't want to go out and practise, then?”

A frown danced across Twilight's face. She just wasn't feeling up to it. “Maybe later?” she said hopefully.

“...Alright," said Trixie. For a fleeting moment, Twilight thought that was the end of it, but then Trixie's voice came again. “Can we at least go out for lunch? I'm starving.”

Twilight shook her head. “I'm... actually not feeling too well. Sorry. But Spike will make you something if you ask nicely.”

Trixie fell silent. Twilight waited a long while for a response, but none came. She imagined Trixie huffing and walking away down the staircase – her kind attempts to get Twilight out of bed thoroughly foiled--

The door clicked open.

'Or maybe not...'

“I'm coming in,” said Trixie. It wasn't a question.

Twilight didn't object – she didn't even bother getting up. This new, slothful laziness – especially so early in the afternoon – was uncomfortable to say the least. Maybe she was coming down with something?

She heard Trixie's hoofsteps coming up the smaller staircase within the room. They stopped for a moment as they reached the top, then started again, before finally coming to a complete stop at Twilight's bedside.

Not wanting to be rude, Twilight tilted her head a little so that she could meet Trixie's eyes. The azure unicorn was looking Twilight up and down, with a questioning look on her face. “You look ill,” she observed randomly.

Twilight conjured up her strongest smile – which turned out to be little more than a minor lip twitch. “I'll be okay,” she said. “It's just... like I said, I'm exhausted. I just need some sleep.”

Trixie nodded slowly, but she didn't move.

Twilight was about to make a subtle hint for her to leave, but abruptly stopped herself. She still had a question that needed answering, and the subject was right there in front of her... There was no harm in asking, was there?

Curling her lip, Twilight tried to think of the right way to word her thoughts. When she was finally satisfied, she rolled over onto her side, so that she was facing Trixie properly.

“Trixie... what are we?” she asked frankly.

The showmare blinked. “What?”

“W-What are we?” Twilight repeated, suddenly doubting that she'd chosen the best wording.

Trixie raised an eyebrow and cocked her head a little. “Um... unicorns?”

Twilight couldn't help but smile at that. “Well, yes,” she chuckled. “But I mean 'what are we', as in... our relationship.”

“Oh,” Trixie grunted.

Twilight bit her lip. “Do you think of me as a friend?”

Trixie drew back all of a sudden with a half-hurt, half-angry expression on her face. “W-Why would you ask that? Are you saying you don't think of me as a friend?”

“No! Of course I do!” said Twilight hurriedly, rising to a sitting position and fixing Trixie with an honest stare. “That's not what I meant.”

Trixie's glare softened a little, but it didn't disappear. “Then what did you mean?”

The conversation was quickly moving into dangerous territory. Twilight wondered whether she should just start from the beginning – that way, the question couldn't be taken out of context. She gulped, then nodded to herself.

“Well, it's... something Rainbow Dash said,” she began. “Something about how I might... possibly... think of you as more than a friend.” She tried to throw a light-hearted chuckle onto the end, but it came out as more of a scoff and a half-smile.

“More than a friend,” Trixie repeated sceptically. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“I don't know,” said Twilight immediately. “Maybe she was just talking about us being partners...”

Twilight just wasn't sure any more. There wasn't anything else she could've meant, was there? Other than the one, totally ridiculous theory that Twilight had quickly locked away in the back of her mind, of course...

“...Does it matter?” said Trixie.

Twilight snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the showmare again. “Pardon?”

Trixie flicked her mane and turned her nose up. “Who cares about 'what we are'? Friends, partners, whatever. All I know is that you're a strange, thoughtful, pretty mare and I like spending time with you.” Twilight felt a rush of heat in her chest as Trixie threw her a self-assured smirk. “...Call that whatever you want.”

Heat rose from Twilight's chest to her cheeks, and brought with it an unstoppable smile. There was the answer to her question. Trixie had just described, word for word, how Twilight felt about her. And to know that those feelings were reciprocated was... something...

'She likes spending time with me...'

'She thinks I'm thoughtful...'

'She thinks I'm pretty.'

That last thought in particular made Twilight bite her smiling lip as she stared down at Trixie's hooves...

“Um, Twilight?”

Shaking herself, Twilight looked up to see the quizzical look on Trixie's face.

Gripped by a sudden urge, Twilight bounced up from the edge of the bed, crossed necks with the azure unicorn and put a fetlock around her back. The Warm and Sweet-scented Trixie gave a little yelp of surprise as she was pulled into the hug. Twilight hurriedly closed her eyes and touched her nose to her partner's mane, eager to enjoy the fruits of her surprise attack for as long as possible before Trixie pushed her away.

But a long moment passed in silence, and Trixie made no attempt to move.

Then Twilight felt a hoof on her back as Trixie returned the hug. She let out a relaxing breath.

As Trixie had said, it didn't really matter 'what they were'. But, even so, Twilight felt her smile growing wider as she revelled in the hug and the thought that they were decidedly 'More than friends'.

* * *

12 - Showmare's Flaunt (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twelve: Showmare's Flaunt

“What about 'The Amazing and Magical Twilight'?” Trixie offered as she took another bite of her pancake.

The lavender unicorn across the table from her adopted a doubtful frown. “I don't know... it doesn't exactly flow like yours does.”

“Hmm, I guess not...” Trixie racked her brain. “Then what about 'The Pretty and Mysterious Twilight'?”

As intended, that brought a timid little smile to Twilight's face, and she averted her eyes in favour of fiddling with her fork. “It's a little... presumptuous, I think. And I'm not really very mysterious, am I?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Alright, fine. You try one.”

Surely enough, Twilight's face lit up into a grin and she looked back up at Trixie. She'd probably been waiting for that invitation all morning...

“I was thinking more along the lines of 'The Educated and Well-Read Twilight',” said the purple unicorn cheerily.

Trixie's hoof met her face. Somepony didn't quite grasp the concept of coming up with an exciting title. She was spared the bother of telling Twilight as much by loud, ground-shaking thump from outside.

Both unicorns turned their eyes to the door, which creaked open just enough for a grey-coated snout to poke through, bearing a letter in its teeth. “Urgent mail for Trixie Lulamoon!” came the muffled voice of the mailmare.

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Trixie reached out with her magic and grasped the letter. “Er... thank you?” she guessed as she tugged it gently from the pony's grip.

“My pleasure!”

With that, the grey snout disappeared and the door clicked shut behind it, leaving Trixie to levitate the letter over to their breakfast table.

“Urgent mail?” Twilight repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Who's it from?”

Trixie shrugged as she magically broke the official-looking wax seal on the envelope and removed the letter within. A brief glance at the document was enough to reveal that it was from Manehattan – those ponies who were organising the Manehattan Display, to be exact.

She smiled and waved Twilight over. The bookish mare tilted her head in question as she rose to her hooves and trotted around the table to stand beside Trixie, who held the letter so that both of them could see it.

“Dear Miss Trixie Lulamoon,” Twilight read aloud. “We are delighted to hear that you and your partner will be competing in the Manehattan Display this year. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on important dates and times pertaining to the event, and also regarding special benefits granted to competitors...”

The letter revealed that the opening ceremony for the event would begin at midnight in just under two weeks' time, and that they would need to be in Manehattan ready for their introduction on the following morning. Apparently, it was there that they would receive the details regarding the first event.

“Oh, look – we get to stay in a hotel!” said Twilight excitedly, pointing a hoof at something further down the page. “...'Reservations have been made for all competitors to stay in Manehattan's 'Pegasus Down Hotel' for the week-long duration of the event – one room per pair...'” She looked over at Trixie with a wide smile. “It looks like we're going to be roommates!”

Trixie read the section herself to make sure, then returned Twilight's smile. Secretly, the showmare was just as excited about the prospect as Twilight was. Why, though, she wasn't sure. Sleeping in the same room wouldn't be a whole lot different from just sleeping in the same house, would it?

Except, Trixie thought with a smirk, that she'd have a smiling view of Twilight looking back at her as she drifted off to sleep each night...

“...What're you looking at?” said Twilight, furrowing a brow in mock suspicion and mimicking the smirk.

“Nothing,” said Trixie calmly. She held the gaze and the smirk for a long moment, until Twilight started to look adorably uncomfortable. Then, satisfied, the showmare blinked mercifully and turned her attention back to the letter. “...Looks like we're going to have to make our own travel arrangements.”

“I could arrange for a horse-drawn carriage,” said Twilight. “I've never been to Manehattan other than by chariot, but I've heard it's a nice journey on the ground.”

Trixie nodded, only half-listening. She found herself staring blankly at the letter – at her name upon it and the official seal and signature on the bottom. She gave a little half-smile as the reality started to set in...

Beside her, Twilight cocked her head. “Trixie? Is something wrong?”

“No, not wrong,” said Trixie dreamily. “It's just... I'm really going to compete in the Display.”

Twilight stayed silent for a long moment. When she did speak, it was with a warm smile in her voice. “You deserve it, Trixie. I know how much it means to you, and I'm glad I can help.”

Trixie smiled heartily and magically folded up the letter. “I know, Twilight. I'm glad too.”

“But don't forget about Flaire either,” said Twilight. “He's the one who got you the invitation, after all.”

Trixie chuckled as she slipped the letter back inside its envelope. “Believe me, Twilight, I have no intention of forgetting him,” she said with a dark cheer in her voice. In fact, she had a special thank you in mind for him – which involved wiping the floor with him in front of thousands of cheering spectators...

“Um... good?” Twilight guessed, clearly a little unnerved by Trixie's demeanour.

The showmare simply turned to smirk at her.

“A-Anyway,” said Twilight hurriedly. “If we've only got less than two weeks left before the event, we should probably be practising rather than sitting around talking, right?”

Picking up on the not-at-all-subtle change of subject, Trixie stifled a giggle. “Yes, I suppose we should be. So, what's on your infamous checklist for this morning? More hoofball practise?”

Twilight shook her head and strode around the table to where her last few pancakes still sat on their plate. “Actually, I was hoping we could do something else today--” She idly dug her fork into a pancake and glanced up at Trixie. “--Something I was hoping you could teach me.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And what could the Great and Powerful Trixie possibly have to teach the Educated and Well-Read Twilight Sparkle?” she teased.

The lavender unicorn prodded her pancake a couple more times, avoiding Trixie's gaze. “...I've never performed on stage before, not like you have,” she began quietly. “I don't know anything about being a showmare.”

“What's to know? You just go out there and flaunt yourself to the crowd,” said Trixie with a shrug.

Twilight managed to look up. “Well, that's what you do, sure. But I've never really... flaunted myself before--” Her cheeks reddened a little, either out of embarrassment for the fact or the word. She gulped and shook her head to reassert herself before continuing. “So, I was hoping that you could teach me. You know, to... to show off.”

Trixie blinked. With all Twilight Sparkle's knowledge and talent, she'd never once thought to learn how to show it off... It was almost ridiculous. But then again, this was Twilight Sparkle – she wasn't exactly a normal mare.

As another smirk made its way onto the azure unicorn's face, she gave an amused grunt. “That, Twilight Sparkle, I can do...”

* * *

Trixie had never really taught anyone... well, anything before, so she didn't know the first thing about how she was going to do this. And, considering that Twilight's previous teacher had been Princess Celestia herself, Trixie had a lot to live up to. Of course, she wasn't about to let that stop her.

She hastily decided that they would need a stage to practise upon and set about arranging the reading tables against a wall, to buy herself some time to think. When she'd finished with that, she had Twilight stand atop it and wait while she, Trixie, found the perfect spot from which to play 'the audience'. And, after several, long minutes of searching, she found it directly in front of centre stage, much to Twilight's annoyance.

At long last, Trixie settled herself down onto a reading stool and looked up at Twilight, who was now shuffling her hooves against the wood and glancing down over the edge of the stage. “It's kind of high...” the bookish unicorn observed with a nervous frown.

“That's so that you can look down on your audience, and so that the ponies in back can see you better,” said Trixie sagely. She smiled to herself as Twilight nodded in understanding – maybe this teaching wasn't going to be that difficult after all.

“Okay, so what do I do now?” said Twilight.

Trixie frowned in thought for a second. “The first thing you do when you get on stage is... introduce yourself!”

Twilight gave her a questioning look. “Just... introduce myself?”

The showmare nodded.

“...Okay.” Twilight cleared her throat, drew herself up a little and took a breath before giving Trixie her most welcoming smile. “Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm a student, under the tutelage of Princess Celestia, currently studying friendship in the small town of Ponyvi--”

“Twilight,” Trixie interrupted, deadpan.

Twilight licked her lips and pointed at Trixie. “Um, question?”

Trixie's hoof met her face for the second time that morning and, she had a feeling, not for the last. “Twilight, when I said 'introduce yourself', I meant--” She paused, not quite sure how to explain it. “--Er... Do you remember my magic show?”

“The one you held in Ponyville?” Twilight guessed.

“No, the one I held when we met in Trottingham,” said Trixie with a roll of her eyes.

“But... I've never been to--” Twilight broke off as she saw the look Trixie was giving her. “Oh, right... sorry. Yes, I remember your show... sort of.”

Trixie smiled. “Good. Then I assume you remember my entrance?”

“Well, it's kind of hard to forget that,” said Twilight, waving a hoof. “You definitely made an impression.”

“Exactly!” said Trixie proudly. “That's what you need to do – make an impression on the audience. Make it short, snappy and powerful. Show them that you mean business!”

Twilight gulped and nodded shortly. “I mean business... okay, got it. Just give me a second.” She turned her eyes to the ground and started mouthing silently to herself. Trixie folded her fetlocks and rolled her eyes as she waited.

Eventually, Twilight looked back up with a smile on her face, declaring that she was ready. She drew herself up again and cleared her throat. And, when she spoke, it was with a lot more volume and fervour than before...

“Citizens of Manehattan!” she called out, snout high and eyes determined. “Prepare to feast your eyes on... on the most studious and magical unicorn in... um... i-in all of Equestria!”

She finished by throwing a hoof outwards in a kind of clumsy salute, which prompted a little giggle from Trixie. Hearing this, Twilight let out her own breath, shaking with laughter herself.

“Th-That was good,” said Trixie after a moment, raising a hoof to her lips to steady herself.

“It was silly!” Twilight corrected her between giggles. “Yours didn't sound anything like that!”

The showmare shook her head with a smile. “You can't expect to be as Great and Powerful as Trixie on your first try. After all, this is Trixie's talent!”

“S-Speaking of which,” said Twilight, finally managing to regain control of her voice. “Do I have to start talking in third person? Or is that more of a... stylistic choice?”

Even though Twilight had clearly meant that as a joke, Trixie's smile wavered a little. “No,” she said, avoiding Twilight's eyes. “That's really just my thing...”

“...Sorry?” Twilight guessed, biting her lip.

Trixie shook her head and got to her hooves. Eager to change the subject, she forced as smile and trotted forwards. Her previously injured hoof gave her no trouble as she clambered up onto the stage and turned to face her partner, who was now giving her a quizzical stare.

“Forget that,” said Trixie, her smile turning to a smirk. “Come here, let's work on that entrance of yours.”

* * *

It wasn't difficult to get into the whole practise-and-improve routine. Twilight would try something, Trixie would critique or show an example of how it was supposed to be done, then Twilight would correct herself accordingly. Not every attempt was as amusing as the first but, overall, the exercise was a lot of fun.

For hours, they played, on and off of their makeshift stage, their practise punctuated here and there by bouts of laughter and playful teasing. The morning passed almost without them noticing, and neither of them so much as considered stopping for lunch as they moved straight on from dramatic introductions to emotive casting, with which Twilight had equal amounts of trouble...

Trixie couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself so much.

“--No, that's still too plain! You need to rear up and throw out your hooves – show the audience that you know how Great and Powerful you are!” said Trixie with a wide smile. “I'll show you. Watch closely.”

The showmare motioned for Twilight to take a step back, which she did whilst smiling expectantly. Trixie turned to face their imaginary audience, shuffled her hooves and cleared her throat. She gave it a good three count, then channelled magic into her horn as she reared up.

“Watch in awe!” she cried, throwing wide her forehooves and sending a magical firework into the air. It struck the ceiling and exploded into a rain of multi-chrome sparkles that floated down around Trixie like snowflakes. Having practised the trick several times in front of a mirror, Trixie didn't have to see herself to know how amazing it looked.

When she touched down and the last of the sparkles had faded, Trixie turned to her partner with a smirk. Twilight had an excited glint in her eye.

“Come on – we'll try it together,” Trixie prompted, beckoning Twilight towards her. The lavender unicorn trotted forwards without hesitation to stand beside Trixie, casting her a warm smile.

“I'm ready,” said Twilight brightly.

“Got a spell in mind?” asked Trixie.

Twilight nodded.

Satisfied, Trixie gave her one last smirk before turning towards the audience again. “Alright, on three. One... Two... Three!”

Together, they kicked off with their forehooves in perfect time, horns lighting up as they did. “Watch in awe!” they yelled, their voices intermingling to make a strangely amusing harmonic.

Trixie let off her spell, the same as before, just as Twilight cast her own. Whether it was the combination of spells that did it, or whether it was just Twilight getting overexcited, Trixie didn't know, but something brought about a blinding flash in front of them...

Caught completely off guard, Trixie let out a loud, pained yelp as her vision went black and she started stumbling around to keep her balance. The flash had caught Twilight too, judging by her own yelp and the sound of clumsy hoofsteps.

Trixie's hoof slipped from the table just as Twilight bumped into her and they instinctively grabbed hold of one another...

The next thing Trixie knew, she was on her back with one hoof caught under something and with something else wrapped around one of her hind legs. She gave a little groan, only to find that it morphed into a chuckle at the strange warmth she was feeling. Somepony else was giggling too, a familiar mare's voice.

'I must've hit my head,' Trixie thought, which somehow only served to make the whole thing seem funnier.

The tangled showmare brought her one free forehoof up to her eyes and rubbed them, trying to clear the darkness. As the haze began to fade, she blinked into view an equally dazed-looking Twilight Sparkle.

When Trixie had regained her bearings, she found that her forehoof was trapped underneath Twilight, and that said bookish mare had both of her hind legs wrapped around one of Trixie's. To say that the position was awkward was a bit of an understatement.

Their eyes met. Trixie bit her lip to fight off the aching urge to burst into laughter again. For her part, Twilight was still snickering a little, though she was obviously trying to manage a look of concern. “A-Are you... alright?” Twilight asked between snickers.

Trixie gulped and nodded confirmation, her smile threatening to escape her face. She felt perfectly fine, if she didn't count feeling a little dizzy, and it looked as if her partner was in the same boat. Even so, part of her wanted to ask if Twilight was okay, though she feared that opening her mouth would just give way to the bubbling laughter in her stomach...

“G-Good,” said Twilight, before Trixie could make up her mind. They stared at each other for a long moment, waiting for Twilight's giggles to die down. When, at last, they did, the lavender unicorn held her smile as she said, in a mock pout, “I'm not very Great and Powerful, Trixie.”

The showmare gave her own snort of laughter at that, but the dams didn't break. Instead, the laughter drew out into a happy sigh, and the rush of mirth brought with it the strangest impulse.

Gingerly as she dared, Trixie brought a hoof up to the side of Twilight's head. The lavender unicorn didn't say anything, nor did she give Trixie any questioning looks. She just pursed her lips and waited.

As Trixie touched her hoof to Twilight's mane, all of her reservations seemed to fade away. A warm feeling spread down through her fetlock and into her chest as she ran her touch through the tidy, striped mane. It was unsurprisingly sleek and soft to the touch, like brushing a cloud or a fluffy critter.

When she reached the end, she brought her hoof back up to Twilight's ear and swept it through again, falling into a quiet, dreamlike rhythm.

Twilight didn't object. Her lips curled up into a smile as she stared at Trixie with her eyes that were so like those which looked back at the showmare in the mirror each morning. No... the same colour, perhaps, but they were different. Warmer. More... sparkly.

Trixie's mind was blank – she probably had a concussion. But that was okay. She was content to just lay there for the seconds or minutes that she did and simply to brush her hoof through Twilight's perfectly-kept hair. Until--

“Hey, Twilight,” came Spike's voice, accompanied by the sound of a door opening. “I'm back early, just got to pick up my-- Whoa!” He broke off, presumably catching sight of them. “Are you guys okay?!”

Twilight drew a sharp breath, as if snapped out of a daze. She blinked rapidly and craned her neck to look towards Spike, instantly breaking whatever spell that Trixie had been under. The showmare quickly withdrew her hoof and followed Twilight's eyes to the concerned looking baby dragon stood half-way across the room.

“W-We're fine, Spike,” said Twilight, unsubtly disentangling her hind legs. “I tripped and Trixie tried to catch me. No damage done.”

Spike huffed in relief. “Oh, good. Well, like I said, I've just got to grab something and I'll be out of your hair.” Just like that, he started off towards the staircase, leaving Trixie to wonder what had just happened.

Well, she knew what had just happened, of course... and, if she was honest, she knew why it had happened as well. What she really began to wonder was what might've happened if not for the interruption...

Spike stopped suddenly at the bottom of the stairs. He cast a questioning look back at them. “Er... sorry, but what's with the tables?” he asked.

Shaking herself back to the present, Trixie was quick to extricate her hoof from beneath Twilight and get to her hooves. “I-It's a stage, dragonling,” she said. “We were practising.”

Spike creased his brow. “Practising? For what?”

Trixie smirked and furrowed an eyebrow as she turned to Twilight, wondering how the silly dragon could possibly have such terrible powers of deduction. For her part, Twilight had just about managed to stand herself up, and was simply smiling over at Spike. “Just a magic show, Spike. Nothing to worry about,” she said off-hoofedly.

The dragonling blinked. So did Trixie.

“...Oh. Okay,” Spike said, giving a little shrug. With that, he turned to make his way up the stairs, leaving Trixie to stare blankly at Twilight.

The lavender unicorn casually brushed her chest off with a hoof before turning to offer Trixie a smile.

“...He doesn't know?” said Trixie quizzically.

“Doesn't know what?” said Twilight.

Trixie cocked her head. “About the Display. Haven't you told him?”

“Um, well... no--” Twilight mimicked the head tilt. “--Like I said, it's nothing for him to worry about. I'm just going to Manehattan for a week.”

“...And you don't think you should tell him that you're going to compete in one of the most prestigious magical talent shows of all time?” said Trixie doubtfully. A frown crossed her face as a worrying thought occurred to her. “You are sure that you want to go through with this... aren't you?”

Twilight nodded emphatically and adopted a serious expression. “Of course! I really am! I just don't want anyone to think that it's a big deal.”

Trixie's frown deepened. “It's a big deal to me.”

Twilight's face lit up red as she started stammering. “I-I... That's not what I... I didn't mean--”

“Got it! See ya later, Twilight and Trixie!” Spike called out as he made his way down the stairs and to the door. “Have fun with your practise, or whatever!”

Trixie turned to him, and Twilight gulped down her stammering to flash him a smile. “Bye, Spike!” they called together. The door closed, and they turned back to one another. Twilight still looked as if she wasn't sure what to say... but she didn't really need to say anything.

“It's okay,” said Trixie with a shake of the head. “I know you didn't mean it like that... sorry.”

Twilight took a breath to calm herself. “It's a big deal to me too, Trixie. I just meant that I don't want it to become a big deal for my friends – something they think they have to worry about or... or help with or something... Do you know what I mean?”

“...No. Not really,” said Trixie honestly.

Twilight hung her head and sighed.

And then Trixie smiled. “But that's okay,” she said. “Your friends are your department. We'll keep it a secret if that's what you think is best--” She paused and adopted a lopsided smile. “--Of course, when we win, they're going to hear about it anyway.”

The lavender unicorn gave a little smile at that. “I guess you have a point, there...” She slowly turned to look up at Trixie.

As their eyes locked again, Trixie unconsciously gulped – her mouth suddenly went strangely dry. “...For me,” she began, pausing to lick her lips. “It's enough to know... that you care.”

Silence fell over the lobby as the two stared at each other. Trixie's face turned red with embarrassment as she immediately regretted her choice of words and averted her eyes in a hurry. She tried to think of some way to take it back without... taking it back.

“Th... That sounded better in my head,” Trixie muttered, which made the whole situation so much less awkward...

Another moment passed in silence.

And then Trixie felt a hoof against her chin.

Twilight Sparkle guided the azure unicorn's head upwards, until their eyes met. She was smiling, but not in amusement. It was more of a kind, understanding smile, and it made Trixie's breath catch in her throat.

“I know what you mean,” said Twilight softly.

And she did. Even if Trixie didn't really know herself, she had distinct feeling that Twilight did. It was weird... a little scary, maybe. She wasn't sure what to think, but she knew one thing for certain – there was something new about the way that Twilight was smiling at her.

For a fleeting moment, she felt seconds away from figuring it out, and then--

“Sorry guys,” came Spike's voice again. “I just need to get one more--”

“Spike!” they snapped together, moment thoroughly annihilated.

* * *

13 - Departure (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter thirteen: Departure

The entrance bell chimed as Twilight pushed into her friend's place of work. Graciously, the large room into which she walked was devoid of ponies, unless she counted the three mannequins against the opposite wall, displaying some particularly interesting new designs. Just as well that there was no-one there – Twilight wanted to do this in private.

Right on cue, a familiar voice drifted out from one of the side rooms.

“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chiq, unique and ma-- Oh!” Rarity broke off as she stepped into the main room and caught sight of Twilight. “Why hello, Twilight! What brings you here so early? Have you finally decided to model for me? I'm telling you, darling, with a figure like yours, you'd be just perfect for it!”

Twilight gave a little chuckle at the compliment. “Sorry, Rarity, but not today. I just came to ask your advice about something.”

Rarity's face brightened. “Aha! Even better!” She gestured towards the room from which she'd just come. “Right this way, darling. You can get comfortable while I make us some tea.”

Twilight made no objection as she followed her friend into the much smaller room, which looked as if it had been designed with this exact situation in mind. There was a small, glass table in the centre, flanked by an elegant, half-circle couch which looked particularly welcoming. The walls were dotted with restful pictures of landscapes, and the quaint little window in the far wall let in just enough sunlight to give everything a relaxing glow. Twilight quickly decided that she liked this room very much.

She took her seat on the couch as Rarity zipped off through yet another doorway, presumably to prepare the tea. Twilight had barely settled in before the fashionista returned with two steaming cups hovering beside her and with a warm smile adorning her lips. “Just the way you like it, darling,” she declared as she set Twilight's cup down on the table and took a seat beside her.

Twilight magically lifted her teacup to her lips and took a sip, smiling at the hot, sweet taste. “Mmm. Perfect, Rarity. Thank you,” she said.

Rarity smiled back and nodded. “Of course. Now, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”

Having already planned out what she was going to say in advance, Twilight didn't hesitate. She lowered her teacup and met Rarity's eye. “Have you heard of the Manehattan Display?”

“Heard of it? Why, of course I have!” said Rarity brightly. “I attended last year's, and I must admit that it was very exciting. Unfortunately, I'm much too busy to go again this year. Why do you ask, darling? Are you going?”

Twilight nodded and took another sip of tea. “I am. And... so is Trixie.” She cast a meaningful look in Rarity's direction.

The fashionista blinked a few times, but her smile didn't falter. “So... you're going together?” she asked. Her voice had an unusual, squeaky twang to it.

“W-We are,” said Twilight, turning her eyes back to her cup. Even though the conversation was going exactly as planned, she was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. The silence wasn't doing much to help that.

“Darling,” Rarity began carefully. “Am I to understand that the two of you are going as... partners?”

Twilight almost spat out her tea. She quickly gulped it down and looked across at Rarity. “H-How did you know that?!”

Rarity pursed her lips, as if trying to stop herself from smiling. It didn't work very well. “I didn't. I guessed. You came here to ask for my advice about something, so it stands to reason--” She shook her head. “--Oh, but it doesn't matter, darling – this is absolutely wonderful news!”

“...It is?” said Twilight sceptically. She'd expected her friends to be understanding, of course, but she hadn't expected that Rarity would actually be excited about the idea.

“But of course!” said Rarity. “It will be good for the two of you to get out and do something together, rather than hanging around in that stuffy library all the time. Not that there's anything wrong with your library, of course!” she added hastily as Twilight threw her a look.

“So, you... approve?” Twilight managed.

“Darling, I'm insulted that you think I'd do anything but!” said Rarity, though the smile in her voice told no tale of it. “If you don't mind my asking, when exactly did you two become... er... more than friends?”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. 'Why does everypony keep calling it that?'

The memory of the night they became partners was, of course, still burned into Twilight's mind. Part of her wanted to tell Rarity everything, but another part of her said that there was an element of privacy to the memory, that warranted keeping it between herself and Trixie.

Rarity obviously noticed Twilight's hesitation, because she shook her head and took on an apologetic tone. “Forgive me, darling, I didn't mean to pry--”

“No, no, it's fine,” said Twilight, setting her teacup down on the table. “It was about a week or two ago, I don't really remember. One day, when we were out for a walk, she just pulled out the invitation and... asked me to compete with her.” Twilight punctuated the awkward end of her short explanation with a shrug.

Rarity's eyes stopped smiling. “Wait... what do you mean 'compete with her'?”

“Sorry, I meant alongside her,” Twilight corrected with a smile. She could see how that would be confusing, having just said that they were partners.

But Rarity still stared blankly.

After a long moment had passed, Twilight raised an eyebrow. “In the Display,” she tried. “As partners.”

Another pause, then Rarity gasped in realisation. “Oh! You... You meant partners as in-- W-Well, of course that's what you meant, I just-- Oh, how silly of me to assume, I... I...” She started stammering out half sentences in a vain attempt to... well, Twilight wasn't really sure what she was trying to achieve.

Twilight, hopelessly lost, magically grasped hold of Rarity's teacup and offered it to the panicking white unicorn. Rarity grabbed it without hesitation and took a great gulp, downing the entire thing before letting out a content sigh. She turned to offer Twilight a sheepish smile.

“I'm ever so sorry, darling. I-I'm not sure what came over me,” Rarity muttered. “It's just that you've been spending so much time together lately, I--” She looked down at her empty teacup. “Well, I assumed. I'm sorry.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Um... that's okay?” she guessed. “If this weird then I can go and ask somepony else--”

“No, no, that won't be necessary,” said Rarity with a shake of her head. She smiled at Twilight. “Tell me, darling, what was it that you wanted me to advise you upon? If not your... partnership.”

Having the conversation refocussed was a huge relief to Twilight, who was quick to return the smile and take another sip of her tea. “I was just wondering whether I should tell our friends. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy...”

'Rainbow Dash,' her mind silently filled in.

“Well, that depends,” said Rarity. “What is it that you want from them?”

“I... I don't want anything from them,” said Twilight honestly. “I just want to tell them so that they don't worry, or think that I'm hiding things from them. But I also don't want to make it seem like a big deal, and I definitely don't want it to seem like I'm... bragging about it... Does that make sense?”

Considering her track record with that question, she wasn't expecting a helpful answer. Rarity, however, offered a wider and warmer smile, as if she understood completely.

“It makes perfect sense,” she said kindly, laying a hoof on Twilight's fetlock. “You are, by far, the sweetest, most modest unicorn I've ever met, Twilight Sparkle. Don't trouble yourself with trying to explain to our friends, I will take care of everything--” She leant in to whisper conspiratorially. “--I'll even make sure that Pinkie Pie doesn't throw you a Ponyville-wide 'Good Luck' party.”

Twilight couldn't help but giggle at that. “Oh, Rarity...” She leant in and pulled her friend into a gentle hug, which was happily returned. “Are you sure that's not too much trouble?”

“Don't be silly, darling,” said Rarity dismissively. “It will be my pleasure. But--” She pulled back from the hug. “--I am going to want something in return...”

Twilight's smile fell as her eyes met with Rarity's serious expression. “O-Oh? What--”

“When you get back,” Rarity began. “We must sit down for tea again so that you can tell me everything about the Display.” She finished by flashing a warm smile.

Stifling a relieved chuckle, Twilight smiled back at her. “Of course I will, Rarity. I promise.”

Rarity stood up and levitated the two teacups with her. “Good! It's a promise then.” With that, she set off towards the doorway from behind which she'd produced the tea.

Twilight got to her hooves as well and stretched a little, sighing as she felt something of a load lifted from her back.

About half-way across the room, Rarity stopped. “Oh, Twilight?” she said, turning to look over her shoulder. “While I am happy to take care of telling our friends, it would be best if you were the one to tell Spike, don't you think? He might find it a little odd if I told him that you were going away for a week, considering that you live together and all...”

Twilight giggled. “Somehow, I don't think he'd mind,” she said jokingly. “But you're right. Of course I'll tell him.”

* * *

Twilight stood, staring blankly at the calendar in front of her as she thought back to that day. Almost a week had passed since then, though it hardly felt like that long – hours had played into days as the date of the Display seemed to approach ever faster, and now time had run out...

She shook her head and folded her calendar carefully into her saddlebag, before turning to look around the library's lobby at large. It was the last time she was going to see this place for just over a week... she had a feeling that she was going to miss seeing all of her books each morning.

'Maybe there's space in my bags for just a few more,' she mused, trotting up to the nearest bookshelf to pick out a few titles. Something in the way of advanced magic theory sounded like just the kind of thing she needed--

“What're you doing?” came Trixie's voice.

“Nothing!” cried Twilight, spinning in place and putting on her best innocent smile. Trixie was smirking down at her from the top of the stairs, with her cape fastened around her neck and flowing down over her flank. She looked every bit as lovely as usual, apparently having just allowed herself some more time in front of the mirror. That made Twilight feel a lot less guilty about having done the same herself.

Trixie turned and dashed down the staircase, cape billowing out behind her. She galloped right up to Twilight's side before grinding her hooves to a halt and throwing a triumphant smirk towards her partner.

“I'll bet it feels good to be able to do that again,” said Twilight with a smile.

Trixie closed her eyes and took a relaxed breath. “You have no idea.”

Taking a step to the side, Twilight noticed that Trixie wasn't wearing any saddlebags herself. “Hmm? Aren't you bringing anything?” she asked.

“I don't have anything to bring,” said Trixie plainly, turning to meet Twilight's eyes. “This cape is really the only thing I have.”

“Oh...” Twilight muttered. She felt a little silly to have asked, knowing that Trixie'd had nothing with her when she arrived. It was actually kind of sad, now that she thought about it...

'I'll get her something in Manehattan,' Twilight decided with a smile.

“What about you?” asked Trixie. “Are you done with your last-minute packing? Or do you think you can fit a few more books into those saddlebags?” She nodded towards the bags in question, on the floor beside the nearest table, which were already bulging.

“I might!” said Twilight defiantly, prompting a giggle from Trixie.

Twilight trotted over and slipped into the saddlebags, fastening them around her waist with magic before turning to look up at the clock. It was just past noon. Their carriage would be arriving in Ponyville right about now...

Something bumped into her side, keeping her from slipping into thought. Throwing a sidelong look in Trixie's direction, she saw a playful smile on the showmare's face. “Not getting homesick already, are you?” Trixie teased.

Twilight rolled her eyes to dismiss the jeer, only for her gaze to settle on her favourite bookshelf across the room. “...Maybe a little,” she admitted. “This will be the first time I've left Ponyville since I came to live here. It's... kind of intimidating.”

“It's only for a week, Twilight. You'll be back here in no time,” said Trixie coolly. She paused, then flicked back her mane. “Besides, there's no need to be intimidated – I'll be there to protect you.”

Twilight smiled and chuckled at that. “Well, when you put it that way, I guess it'd be silly for me to worry.”

“Exactly,” said Trixie with finality. “Now, are we going to meet this carriage or aren't we?”

* * *

The carriage – which very much resembled a covered wagon – waited for them on the outskirts of town, but it wasn't the only thing that waited there. Four familiar ponies and a certain baby dragon were all messily lined up nearby, and they offered smiles to Twilight and Trixie as they approached via the trail that lead out from the library.

Trixie gave Twilight a sidelong look as they drew near to the group of friends. “I'll go ahead,” said the showmare quietly. “You can say your goodbyes.”

Twilight nodded her approval, and Trixie veered off towards the carriage whilst Twilight continued on towards her friends. She returned their smiles. “Girls, you really didn't have to come and see me off,” she said, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “But... I'm glad you did.”

“Undomesticated anthropoids couldn't keep us away, darling,” said Rarity kindly, a statement which the others mirrored in their smiles alone.

“I made cupcakes!” Pinkie declared, bouncing forwards to present the small box atop her back. “Rarity made me promise not to throw a party for you, but she didn't say anything about presents!” She stuck her tongue out at the fashionista, who gave a ladylike eye roll in response.

“Oh, thank you, Pinkie Pie,” said Twilight as the party pony passed over the box. Twilight balanced it atop her own back with magic before crossing necks with Pinkie in a careful hug. “That's really sweet of you.”

Pinkie pulled back and gave Twilight a quizzical look. Then, after a moment, she beamed and let out a short laugh. “Ha! I get it! Good one, Twilight!”

“Huh?” was all Twilight managed as the pink ball of excitement stepped back, chuckling to herself.

Applejack stepped forwards to take her place, and she met Twilight's eyes with a warm, honest smile. “Well, I ain't got you a present or nothin', but I figured I'd come wish you good luck anyways.” She reached around Twilight's neck and patted her on the back. “But if this Display thinger is really about magical talent, then I reckon you've already got it in the bag, Sugarcube.”

Twilight felt the beginnings of a tear in her eye. She had to remind herself, once again, that she was just going for a week, and there was no sense in making a big deal out of these goodbyes.

She sniffed a little more loudly than expected before pulling back to smile at Applejack. “Thank you. I'll be back soon.”

“Don't rush yourself,” said Applejack softly. “Y'all have a great time at your Display and around Manehattan. It's a nice enough place, if ya don't mind the occasional snob.”

Twilight chuckled and nodded as Rarity trotted up to her. The white unicorn went straight in for a hug, which Twilight happily received. “Do take care of yourself, darling,” Rarity bade.

“I will, Rarity. Thanks for everything,” said Twilight, squeezing her a little harder.

Rarity stepped back and shook her head. “Think nothing of it. So long as you don't forget our deal!”

Twilight nodded. “Every detail, as soon as I get back,” she promised.

As Rarity rejoined the others, only Spike and Fluttershy remained. Naturally, the demure pegasus wasn't exactly eager to take the stage first, so Spike hurried forwards while he had the chance. Twilight hadn't really noticed until then, but his smile was different than the others'. It was forced, and he didn't so much as try to hide that when he approached her.

“You sure I can't come with you, Twilight?” he asked. “I could just grab some stuff right now. It'd take like, two minutes, tops!”

Twilight tilted her head and offered him a warm smile. The thought of bringing him along had crossed her mind more than once over the past week – the two of them were practically inseparable, after all. Nonetheless, she had ended up deciding to leave him with Rarity, a decision born of a purely selfish desire to spend the week alone with Trixie. A selfish desire that she didn't regret nearly as much as she probably should have...

“Spike,” she said, pulling him into a gentler hug around her foreleg. “I'll miss you too. But it's only for a week, and we're going to be doing boring stuff for the event the whole time. You'll have lots more fun here with Rarity, right, Casanova?” she added in a playful undertone.

That prompted a more genuine smile from him, even if it only lasted a second. “Yeah, I guess,” he muttered. “Just... send me a letter when you get there, okay?”

“Will do, Spike,” Twilight said warmly, giving him one last, quick hug before he ran over to stand at Rarity's side.

Twilight finally trotted over to Fluttershy, who was offering a timid smile from behind her mane. “Thanks for coming to see me off, Fluttershy,” said Twilight. “It's good to know that I have your support.”

The shy pegasus offered a hasty nod. “Oh yes, of course. G-Good luck, I'm sure you'll do just fine. O-Or better than fine, probably...” She started lowering her voice and trailing off, so Twilight decided to show mercy and simply crossed necks with her.

She held the touch for just long enough before pulling back with a smile. Fluttershy replied with a smile of her own, though it suddenly faltered when her gaze fell upon Twilight's ear. “Um... what's that?” she said. “I-If you don't mind me asking, that is.”

Twilight creased her brow in question for a moment, then reached up to her ear. As her fetlock brushed up against the tip of the feather, realisation washed over her. Funny, she'd been wearing it for so long now that it didn't seem like it would stand out any more. Of course, she hadn't seen a lot of her friends, especially Fluttershy, since Rainbow left, so it stood to reason that she'd pick up on it...

Twilight shook her head, realising that she'd been quiet for a little too long. “I-It's a feather,” she explained. “Rainbow Dash gave it to me, so that I wouldn't worry about her.”

Fluttershy cast her eyes down at her hooves and shuffled uncomfortably. “Oh, my...” was all she managed.

“Come to think of it, I was actually hoping to see Rainbow before I left,” said Twilight, curling her lip in thought. “But I guess she's not back from her trip yet.”

“Don't worry none about that one, Twi',” said Applejack, pre-empting the doubts that were already welling up in Twilight's mind. “You'll see her at your 'Welcome back' party, or my name ain't Applejack.”

Twilight nodded firmly, more to herself than to anypony else. “Right. Of course.”

“Now git along, will ya?” said Applejack. She gave a meaningful nod towards the carriage. “You're going to miss your big show at this rate.”

Knowing that she was right, Twilight started to take a few steps backwards, keeping her gaze on her friends. “Um, okay, I-I'm going now,” she said shakily.

They all bade her another, much more brief round of farewells as she broke eye contact and turned towards the carriage, inside which Trixie awaited. She closed her eyes for a moment to refocus, then trotted towards it...

“Hey, egghead!”

...Only to be stopped half way by a familiar and very welcome voice.

Spinning in place, she did nothing to hide her excited smile as Rainbow Dash shot down from the sky and alighted with a powerful thump right in front of her. The trademark smirk on her face was enough to cause the dams of Twilight's glee to break.

“Rainbow Dash!” she cried, jumping forwards to pull the powerful pegasus into a hug. Just in time, she remembered her cupcakes and magically caught them, setting them gingerly down on the ground, before focussing on her hug. “Oh, you're back! You're back!” Twilight squeezed her tighter, excitement and relief taking over.

Rainbow chuckled a little and wrapped a hoof around Twilight. “'course I'm back. What, you thought I'd let you leave before I could wish you good luck?”

Twilight grunted in question. “Huh? How did you--”

“Fluttershy sent me a letter about this Display thing,” Rainbow explained. “I thought I'd come home a couple of days early to see you off. I'll be darned if I miss the day when Twilight Sparkle finally decides to show off how awesome she is.”

A little heat rose to Twilight's cheeks as she pulled back to smile at the compliment. Rainbow's own smile was more honest than Twilight had seen it in a long time... perhaps her trip really had done her some good. Even so, thoughts and questions whirred away in Twilight's mind. There was so much she wanted to ask Rainbow, it was typical that she'd arrive just as Twilight was leaving.

The thoughtful unicorn didn't really notice how long she'd been staring until Rainbow's gaze drifted upwards slightly. She gave a faint nod towards Twilight's ear. “You're still wearing that, huh?”

“Oh... y-yeah,” said Twilight trepidly, reaching up to brush the feather again. “I really like it. You don't mind, do you?”

Rainbow scoffed lightly and shook her head. “Wouldn't have given to you if I minded. I was just going to say it looks good on you.”

Twilight returned the smile. “Thanks...”

Leaning to the side to peer around Rainbow Dash, Twilight saw that their friends were all smiling back at her, though they were kindly keeping their distance. Twilight lowered her muzzle and stepped a little closer to Rainbow, hiding her question from their eyes and ears. “Are you feeling any better?” she asked, in a voice that wasn't quite a whisper.

“Yeah. I am,” said Rainbow. She didn't so much as hesitate. Twilight wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or a bad one, but she chose to take it as the former.

“That's good...” Twilight nodded, half to herself, and smiled vaguely. She knew that she had to follow up that question with another, much less comfortable one. “...So, are you okay with this? Trixie and I going to Maneha--”

A cyan hoof on her lips silenced her. Rainbow's smile didn't falter for a second. She looked right into Twilight's eyes with her own, piercing reds and spoke firmly, but with a definite warmth. “Yeah, I am,” she repeated.

Twilight's heart breathed a sigh of relief, and she nodded slightly to let Rainbow know that she got the message. 'Shut up, Twilight...' she told herself with a smile.

Rainbow withdrew her hoof and stepped back with a smirk on her lips. “And, on that note,” she said, with much more volume. “You'd better get going. Don't want to miss your big event.”

Twilight's eyes went wide in sudden realisation. “Oh! You're right! We should've left by now!” she cried, spinning in place and darting towards the carriage. Realising how rude that must've seemed, she promptly turned right back around and ran up to Rainbow, nuzzling her neck affectionately. “Thanks, Rainbow. I'll see you soon!”

“See ya, egghead,” Rainbow bade, patting Twilight on the fetlock.

With that, the lavender unicorn hurried up to the carriage and clambered up onto the back, where the uncovered part of the vehicle resembled a sort of low, wooden balcony, looking back out towards her friends. She kicked off with her forelegs and leant on the railing, summoning up the magic to reclaim her almost forgotten box of cupcakes from the ground near Rainbow.

Trixie poked her nose out from the folds of the covered part of the carriage. “Ready to go?” she asked.

Twilight performed a quick, mental checklist to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything, then gave Trixie a smile. “Whenever you are.”

The showmare nodded and returned the smile. “I'll go tell the drivers,” she said, before disappearing back inside.

'...This is it,' Twilight thought as she looked out towards her friends once again. They'd all trotted up to join Rainbow, and together they all offered encouraging smiles.

“G-Goodbye, everypony!” she called out, waving back at them. “I'll be back soon!”

“Bye, Twilight!”
“Have fun!”
“Holler if ya need us!”
“Knock 'em down, Sugarcube!”
“Goodbye, darling!”

Fluttershy's voice was lost amidst the others, but her smile and wave were more than enough for Twilight as the carriage jerked forwards ever so slowly. Spike waved emphatically from atop Rarity's back, and Twilight made sure to offer him a private little wave.

Sensing movement behind her, Twilight turned her head. Trixie pushed out from behind the curtains and stepped up to Twilight's side with a prideful smile on her face. It wasn't hard to tell that she was excited... not that Twilight, herself, wasn't excited too.

“Hey, Trixie!” came Rainbow's yell.

Both unicorns turned to see the pegasus hovering above the others, waving her fetlocks to draw attention to herself. Trixie furrowed her brow and leant forwards. “What?” she called back.

Twilight could just about make out the smirk on Rainbow's face as the pegasus yelled “You'd better take care of our egghead, got it?”

Trixie blinked as she took in the words, whilst Twilight lowered her head and averted her eyes in embarrassment. Not that she didn't appreciate the gesture, but Rainbow didn't have to yell it so loud...

A moment later, Trixie's lips curled into a smirk. The azure unicorn drew herself up into her proudest showmare pose and cleared her throat. “Fear not, multichrome pegasus!” she shouted immodestly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will take care of Twilight Sparkle!”

Embarrassed as she was, Twilight couldn't stop herself from smiling as a warmth which was fast becoming familiar washed over her again. She turned her eyes back towards her friends, where Rainbow had resettled on the ground in line with the others, apparently satisfied. They already seemed so far away.

Trixie's smirk wavered, as if something had just sprung to mind. As an obvious afterthought, she kicked off to rest her forehooves on the wooden railing and leaned forwards to call out to Twilight's friends--

“B-But not because you asked her to!” Trixie yelled, with a little desperation or embarrassment escaping in her tone. That brought a chuckle to Twilight, even if she knew that they were probably out of earshot now.

One by one, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie offered a last wave and turned away, heading back into town. Fluttershy waved and turned too, leaving Rainbow Dash as the only one who didn't budge. She stood firm, eyes locked with Twilight's even as the carriage began to pick up speed. Twilight liked to think that her friend was smiling – wishing her one last 'good luck'.

Behind Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy came to a sudden stop and looked over her shoulder, perhaps just noticing that Rainbow hadn't moved. Twilight watched with interest as the demure pegasus rejoined Rainbow Dash and nuzzled her neck to get her attention--

“Are you okay?” came Trixie's voice, snapping Twilight out of her daze.

She turned away from Ponyville, and from the pair of pegasi who stood on its outskirts, to face Trixie. The showmare was wearing a half-concerned, half-expectant expression, trained solely on Twilight.

“I'm alright,” said Twilight, managing a smile. “I'm just a little--” She paused. Nervous, excited, scared, homesick... maybe a little of each? Was there a word for that? “--Tense,” she decided.

Trixie nodded. Maybe because she understood, or maybe just to be kind. Whatever the case, after a moment of staring in silence, the azure unicorn hopped down from the railing and magically lifted Twilight's things – her saddlebags and her box of cupcakes.

The bookish mare gave her partner a questioning look, but Trixie simply turned on the spot and carried them inside the carriage, disappearing under the curtain folds. Twilight blinked, still a little confused, but eventually broke into a smile – deciding to take it as a kind gesture.

Ponyville was slowly shrinking into the distance, and Twilight watched it pensively, wondering what her friends would be doing now that she was gone. They'd probably be going back to normal, she supposed, unless Pinkie had been allowed to throw some kind of 'after-the-fact' party...

Twilight giggled and shook her head. She backed away from the railing and turned, casting only one last glance at Ponyville before pushing inside, under the curtains.

'Next stop, Manehattan...'

* * *

14 - Worries And Kindness (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter fourteen: Worries And Kindness

The journey to Manehattan wasn't exactly a short one, especially since the stallions pulling the carriage seemed to be 'pacing themselves'. Trixie and Twilight had spent a whole afternoon and evening in the carriage, snacking on Pinkie's cupcakes and chatting as they did, trying to enjoy the ride.

They ended up falling asleep sometime after dark. It must've still been quite early, Trixie guessed. When they awoke, though, it was well after first light, almost noon, and even then it was only because of one of the drivers shouting “Coming up on Manehattan, fillies! We'll be there in five minutes or so!”

“It's very impressive,” Twilight commented as she ran a hairbrush through her mane. “They've been pulling us for nearly twenty-four hours now. Do you think they ever get tired?”

Trixie stretched her forelegs out in front of her and smiled contently as her bones clicked into place. “We switched drivers overnight, Sparkle,” she purred, before drawing herself up with a smirk. “But I suppose you were too fast asleep to notice.”

The lavender unicorn lowered her head a little in embarrassment. “Oh. Right.”

“I thought you'd be up all night, cramming in some last minute studying,” said Trixie. She magically grasped and donned her cape as Twilight chuckled.

“You've already convinced me that it's no use. At least, not until we find out what the events are--” She shook her head. “--Besides, I figured that a good night's sleep couldn't do any harm.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “In other words, the carriage lulled you to sleep.”

“I-it did not!” Twilight threw back, along with a half-hearted death glare.

“You slept like a baby, Twilight – for over half a day,” said Trixie, smirking. “Not that it wasn't cute to watch for a while, but you make a terrible travelling companion.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out defiantly, drawing a giggle from the azure unicorn.

“But it's good that you've gotten it out of your system, I suppose,” Trixie continued, casting an idle glance towards the front end of the carriage. “We probably won't have much time for rest when the Display starts...”

The carriage soon rattled to a halt atop stone-paved streets, signalling their arrival. Trixie wasted no time in ducking out under the curtain-folds, even whilst her partner was still struggling with saddlebags.

As she stepped into the midday sunlight and blinked to adjust her eyes, she was greeted by the sounds of bustling civilisation. Dozens, if not hundreds of ponies milled up and down the vast streets that stretched as far as the eye could see. Granted, that wasn't very far – the sheer density of buildings, all tall and grandiose, meant that most of the city was hidden behind walls of homes, hotels, stores and all manner of other things. It was the polar opposite of the quiet, rustic village in which she'd spent the past month or so. A drastic change, but a refreshing one.

“Trixie, I can't get my saddlebags on!” came Twilight's distressed voice from behind. “I think I packed too much after all. Can you help me with the stra--”

The lavender unicorn broke off as she pushed out under the curtain folds and joined Trixie in looking out over the street before them. Her eyes went wide and her mouth formed an 'o', earning her a couple of funny looks from the passers-by.

“Wow. It's so big,” Twilight commented breathlessly. “I mean, I've been here before, but I don't remember it being so cramped together!”

Trixie rolled her eyes and reached out with her magic to adjust the straps on Twilight's saddlebags. “Well, if you came here with the princess, I'm sure she kept you from the busier parts of the city. It can be easy to get lost, especially at this time of year, when the Display is being held.”

“That's true,” said Twilight. “I actually don't remember much other than the stadium itself. I-- Ah!” She yelped as the straps tightened around her stomach, after which Trixie released her magic and smirked.

“There. Next time, don't pack so many books.”

Twilight threw her a sidelong glare. “Thank you for the advice...”

One of their drivers, a lean-looking brown stallion with dark hair, appeared from around the corner of the carriage and smiled up at them. “Here we are, fillies! The Pegasus Down Hotel. All set to go?”

“Yes, thank you,” said Twilight, before Trixie could get in so much as a mocking complaint about his slowness.

He proffered a hoof to help Twilight down, and the lavender unicorn took it gratefully. Trixie rolled her eyes. When the stallion offered the same hoof to her, she simply ignored it and jumped down on her own. The Great and Powerful Trixie didn't need help from anypony but Twilight Sparkle.

“Uh, well, glad to be of service!” said the driver awkwardly. “Enjoy your stay!”

With that, he bowed his head and darted off around the front of the carriage again, to rejoin his fellows. The vehicle jerked forwards a moment later, and steadily made its way down the street, leaving Twilight and Trixie standing on the pavement in its wake.

Together, the two unicorn mares turned to look up at the tall building before them. It had to be at least a dozen stories high, and was made of an impressive, dark blue stone. Balconies jutted out here and there, and windows dotted the entire height of the building, right up to the gigantic sign on the top which depicted a pair of crossed, yellow feathers, laying atop a pillow.

“So, this is where we're staying,” said Twilight idly. It wasn't really a question, more of a nervous observation, which seemed a little 'off' to Trixie.

“Weren't you the one who was excited about staying in a hotel?” said the showmare, with a raised eyebrow.

Twilight nodded. “I was. I mean, I am. But I didn't think it'd be so... big.”

“It'll seem smaller when we get inside,” Trixie assured her. “Come on, let's go check in.”

The glass-paned double doors led them into a wide, impressive lobby, and a comfortable warmth spread over them as they entered. Dark-carpeted floors underhoof stretched across the room and met with the midnight purple of the patterned walls, all lit up by a subdued light from the golden chandelier above. It wasn't at all a vibrant or colourful room, but Trixie got an almost eerie sense of 'welcome' as she stepped inside.

On the opposite side of the room was another set of double doors, which seemed, from this distance, to lead into some sort of dining room. Against the left wall, a straight staircase led upwards and disappeared through the roof. And, finally, in the corner to their right laid the receptionist desk, behind which sat a young mare – with a white coat and wavy, blonde mane – merrily sifting through paperwork.

Trixie cast a glance over at Twilight, expecting to be thrown a seriously questioning look after seeing the sheer scale of the huge lobby. But the lavender mare was too busy staring, wide-eyed, around the place to do so much as return the glance.

“Good afternoon, you two!” came a sing-song voice from their right. Trixie turned to meet the eyes of the receptionist, who was now beaming at them. “Are you here to check in?”

Trixie frowned at her still-mesmerised partner before trotting up to the desk. “That's correct. Trixie assumes that you know who we are.”

The receptionist beamed wider still. “Assuming that you are Trixie, then I know exactly who you are!” she chirped, a sickening sweetness in her voice. She turned her smile on Twilight. “And this must be your partner! Oh, how lovely! We see far too few filly couples in the Display nowadays.”

Trixie gulped and flicked back her mane, suddenly feeling a little flustered as Twilight started towards the desk. She wanted to correct the mare and say 'We're not a couple', but she held her tongue. It didn't matter what she thought anyway.

“This is Twilight Sparkle,” said Trixie, nodding as Twilight came to a stop beside her. “She's from Ponyville.”

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle from Ponyville!” sang the increasingly vibrant receptionist. “My name is Summer Breeze, pleased to meet you both!” She paused and leaned to the side to peer around Twilight's back. “My goodness, those bags look heavy. Leave them with me and I'll have somepony take them up to your room!”

“Oh, um, thank you!” said Twilight, gratefully unstrapping herself from the saddlebags and passing them over with magic. “And it's nice to meet you too. So, can you tell us what room we're in, Summer Breeze?”

“Of course!” The mare bent down and withdrew a piece of paper from under her desk. “It looks like we have you in room twelve. Wow, I sure hope you're not afraid of heights!”

Trixie and Twilight exchanged glances.

The receptionist giggled. “I'm kidding! You'll love it! Just don't look down! There is one thing I should mention though...”

“And what's that?” said Trixie, narrowing her eyes a little.

“Well, due to a teensy little mix up – which totally wasn't my fault, by the way! – the competitors for the Display have all been assigned double rooms this year, rather than twin rooms--” Summer Breeze offered a slightly less enthusiastic grin that was probably her attempt at 'apologetic'. “--And, although we were able to change room arrangements for some of those who arrived earlier, I'm afraid we're fully booked now.”

Trixie blinked. “So, we're stuck with a double room?” she said, suddenly feeling strangely emotionless.

“Sorry, but what's the difference?” Twilight chimed in, glancing between them for help.

“It means that there's only one bed,” said Trixie shortly.

“...Oh.”

Twilight fell silent, her expression unreadable.

As the moments passed, Trixie shuffled her hooves against the carpet. Part of her wanted very much to argue with the receptionist and demand that they be given a different room. But another, much more curious part of her made her keep quiet and wait. What, exactly, she was waiting for didn't become obvious until a few seconds later...

“Well, that's okay,” said Twilight finally.

Trixie turned to her with raised eyebrows, completely stunned by the statement. Twilight's casual smile wilted under the look.

“I-I mean, I don't mind letting you have the bed,” the lavender mare added quickly. “I'm happy to sleep on the couch. The room has a couch, right?”

The receptionist nodded brightly. “It certainly does--”

“W-wait a minute!” Trixie broke in. “You can't sleep on the couch!”

Twilight waved a hoof. “Oh, it's fine. I'm sure it's a very comfortable couch--”

“No, that's not what I meant,” said Trixie shaking her head. “I... Well, if one of us has to take the couch, then it should be me.”

“Don't be silly, Trixie. You'll sleep better in the bed, and you deserve the extra rest,” said Twilight. “Especially after I slept for so long this morning. Seriously, I'll be fine on the couch.”

Trixie scoffed and flicked back her mane. “No, you won't. Because Trixie is taking the couch,” she said haughtily. The beginnings of a smile were making their way onto her face. “You'll just have to make do with the bed.”

“No, really, Trixie. This is your event, you have to take the bed. I'd love to have the couch--”

“Well, that's too bad. I'm taking it!”

“Don't you think the Great and Powerful Trixie should have a Great and Powerful place to sleep?”

“Perhaps, but you're a lot more delicate. Trixie wouldn't be a very good partner if she let you sleep on the couch and you were all achy the next day--”

“Delicate? That is so--”

“D'aww!”

Without warning, Summer Breeze rose up with a wide grin on her face and unfurled a pair of wings that Trixie hadn't even noticed. The excited mare shot forwards and pulled both of them into a strangling hug. “Oh, you two are just the cutest! I wish more of our guests were like you!”

Caught off guard, Trixie gasped for air and struggled against the death grip.

When the crazy receptionist pulled back a moment later and rested her forehooves on her desk, she was still beaming. “Don't you fret, fillies! There's plenty of room on the couch for both of you to share, I promise!”

Trixie's mouth fell open a little and her cheeks heated up as she glared daggers at Summer Breeze. She wanted to tell her off, but no words came out – something about that annoyingly cheerful smile kept her quiet.

“W-whatever!” Trixie managed eventually. She purposely turned her head so that she couldn't see whether or not Twilight's cheeks were red too. “Can you just show us to our room now?”

“Aw, already?” pouted the receptionist. “Well, okay, I guess. Let me just get your key, and--”

“Actually, do you think we could wait for a bit?” Twilight broke in.

Trixie pursed her lips and waited until she was sure that her own cheeks had returned to their normal hue before turning to meet her partner's eyes. “What do you mean 'wait'?”

“I was thinking,” Twilight began. “It's still early afternoon, and I haven't eaten all morning. Could we, maybe, go and get some food first? And then, if you wanted, you could show me around Manehattan for a while... I mean, like I said, I've never been to this part of the city before. It'd be nice to see some sights before we turn in.”

“Oh, that's a wonderful idea!” chirped Summer Breeze, before Trixie could get so much as a word in. “I'm sure you'll have a lovely time! And here, take this--” She reached under her desk and pulled out a hoof-sized, red ticket. “--All entrants for the Display are provided with free lunches at the Daisy and Duke café, if it takes their fancy.”

Twilight tilted her head at the ticket. “Oh, that's really too kind--”

“No it's not!” Trixie almost snapped, grasping the ticket with her magic. “In fact, we'll go there right now. Come on, Twilight.”

The lavender mare gave a yelp as Trixie wheeled around and started shoving her towards the door, eager to get away from the crazy receptionist.

“Trixie, what're you-- Uh, thank you, Summer Breeze! We'll see you later!”

“Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle and Trixie! Don't forget to have fun!”

* * *

They found the Daisy and Duke café a good fifteen minutes later, on the street the ticket told them to go to. It was much more comfortably sized, and of quite a simple design compared to the hotel, with sleek, wooden floors, lightly-coloured walls and a large, glass window that completely covered two sides of the building.

Inside, Trixie found herself glancing around at all the different tables, at which dozens of different ponies sat, eating. Stallions, colts, mares and fillies, some of which were no doubt their fellow competitors for the Display. She tried to guess which pairs were their competition. Or, at least, that's what she pretended to be doing. In reality, she was searching for one stallion in particular, even if she knew it was pointless. If Flaire was here, Trixie would've noticed the moment they'd stepped through the door...

“What's wrong?” said Twilight, brushing up against Trixie's side.

Trixie shook her head. “Nothing. I just thought he might be here.”

“Oh... well, I guess he's eating somewhere else,” said Twilight awkwardly. “Or maybe he's just not here yet. Um, do you want to go and look for him?”

“Look for him?” Trixie scoffed. “I don't think so. We'll see him at the Display anyway, I'm not going to go out of my way to find him a day early.”

True, looking for him would be kind of desperate, and Trixie would never stoop to that, but she still would've liked for him to be there. She wanted to get in as much boasting as possible while she had the chance. But, as she kept telling herself, she'd see him tomorrow.

The two mares made their way over to an empty table near the window and perched themselves atop the wooden stools. Trixie tried to put the thoughts of Flaire out of her mind. She didn't need him distracting her from her food when he wasn't even there.

“So... here we are in Manehattan,” Twilight declared quietly. She flashed a tiny smile.

Trixie quirked a brow. “...Where we've been for about half an hour now. Is something wrong?”

“Maybe,” said Twilight, turning her gaze to the menu that laid open on the table in front of her. “I guess it's just starting to feel... real.”

“You're nervous,” Trixie grunted.

It wasn't at all surprising, really. Although Trixie never really got nervous before a big performance herself – being Great and Powerful as she was – it seemed a common trait among almost everypony else. They were afraid that they would make a mistake or forget their lines... as a result, they sometimes did. It was counterproductive, as Twilight would say, and Trixie was eager to nip it in the bud.

“You haven't got anything to be nervous about, Twilight. Like I've said a hundred times already, I'll be there with you. You just have to follow my lead and everything will be fine.” Trixie offered a kind smile.

Twilight's own smile morphed into more of a lop-sided smirk. “I know,” she said, before pausing to think. Trixie stayed silent, waiting patiently until Twilight looked up and met her eyes. “...But, that's really only part of it.”

Before Trixie could respond, a waiter appeared at their side, quill and paper held in his magical grasp. Twilight glanced up at him. “Oh, um, I'll have the soup, please.”

He nodded and turned to Trixie, who hadn't even had a chance to look at the menu. Not that it mattered anyway. “...Pancakes?” she guessed, eager to get back to her conversation with Twilight. “Do you have cinnamon-apple pancakes?”

He nodded again.

“Perfect. That will do,” said Trixie shortly, turning back to her partner. “What was that you said about 'only part of it'?”

As the waiter moved swiftly off, Twilight bit her lip and averted her eyes from Trixie. “It's not important, really--”

“It's important to me,” said Trixie, cutting her off.

Twilight glanced up at her, then gulped. “Okay. I guess making a mistake is one thing I'm worried about, but I can get over that if you're there to look-- I-if you're there with me,” she hastily corrected. “But that's not all. I'm... well, I don't really know how to say it.”

“You're still worried about performing in front of an audience?” Trixie guessed.

Twilight shook her head. “No. I mean, yes, but that's not what I'm talking about.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “We'll be here for hours if you're going to make me guess. Why don't you just tell me? I won't snap at you or anything.”

“I'm not so sure about that,” Twilight muttered. Her lips were set firmly in a frown now, but she looked as if she was trying to convince herself to open up, so Trixie waited.

Eventually, Twilight cleared her throat. “I've been thinking about your magic show,” she said slowly. “Mostly about what everyone thought of you afterwards.”

“Oh.” Trixie found her own face drooping all of a sudden. So that was what this was about.

“Honestly, I don't think I could handle it if everypony thought of me like that,” said Twilight, hanging her head. “As a... 'braggart'. Or a 'loudmouth'--” She shook her head as the words left her, obviously punishing herself for being so honest. She really was too nice...

“Is that what you think of me?” Trixie mumbled. “That I'm a bad pony?” Her voice was as cold as her mouth was dry.

“No,” said Twilight.

Somehow, that wasn't very reassuring.

As if sensing this, the lavender mare suddenly put her forehooves on the table and leaned across to plant a kiss on Trixie's nose. Caught off guard for the second time that day, Trixie drew back with wide eyes as Twilight smiled at her.

“I might not agree with everything you did in your show,” the uncomfortably close unicorn continued. “But I don't think you're a bad pony. I could never think that, not after... well, after everything.” Twilight stared for a moment longer before finally showing mercy and pulling back to retake her seat.

Trixie opened her mouth, closed it again, then cleared her throat to reassert herself. “Then what's the problem?” she asked, her voice dry.

“This kind of competition, it's really more of your thing,” said Twilight thoughtfully. “I mean, it's all about showing off, isn't it? And that's your talent, not mine.”

“But you wanted to learn,” Trixie threw back, along with a quizzical look. “Those lessons I gave you in the library--”

“I'm not saying that I don't appreciate all of that!” said Twilight. “Being confident with my performance, matching my movements to my spells... it's all really useful, and I'm really happy that you taught me!”

“But?”

Twilight sighed. “But, even though I can do all of that happily, when I think back to your show – to the way you humiliated my friends after they challenged you – that's the problem. I don't blame you for it, not even a little bit! I just don't think that I could do it if I were in the same position--” She paused to gulp resolutely before meeting Trixie's eyes. “--I... I don't think I can be that pony.”

Trixie was left speechless by Twilight's little confession. How long the bookish mare had been keeping that to herself, Trixie had no idea. Could she really have been feeling that way since she'd first become Trixie's partner? Maybe that was why she was hesitant in the first place. Or maybe these were just new thoughts, brought on by being so close to the date of the Display.

Whatever the case, Trixie knew that she had to make Twilight understand...

“I never wanted you to be,” Trixie muttered, half-consciously. She didn't accept that she'd said it out loud until Twilight tilted her head in question.

“Never wanted me to be what?”

“Like me,” said Trixie simply. “Twilight, I know who you are, and you are not a show-off.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but seemed unable to find any words.

For Trixie, on the other hoof, the words just started to come more easily. “I didn't come back to Ponyville to ask an accomplished showmare to be my partner. I came back to ask you. And that's all I'm asking you to be. Just be... Twilight.” Even as the last word left her mouth, she felt the embarrassment rising to her face.

Trixie forced herself to roll her eyes, as if she found her own words silly, even though they were completely true. When she first came back to Ponyville, she wanted Twilight, the ridiculously powerful sorceress, to be her partner. When she finally got around to asking, she wanted Twilight, her friend, to be her partner. In either case, the answer was the same. She wanted Twilight.

Turning to look 'casually' out of the window, Trixie lifted a hoof to hide the burning cheek that still faced her partner. She couldn't fathom why she was blushing so much lately. Maybe some of Twilight's indrawn shyness was starting to rub off on her?

Suddenly, said lavender unicorn rose from her seat and trotted around the table. Trixie couldn't help but turn an eye to watch as Twilight approached with an unreadable expression on her face, coming to a stop right beside the bemused showmare.

Then, without word or warning, Twilight leaned in and nestled her head against Trixie's neck in an incredibly awkward kind of hug. “Thank you, Trixie,” she whispered. “That's really sweet of you to say.”

Trixie's mouth moved wordlessly for a moment as she tried, once again, to make sense of Twilight's strange behaviour. A moment was all it took before Trixie huffed and rested her chin more firmly atop the mare, 'returning' the hug even as she glanced around to make sure that nopony was watching. “Don't thank me,” she grumbled. “It's just the truth. I wasn't trying to make it sound... 'sweet'.”

Twilight shook slightly with a little chuckle as they broke the embrace. She met Trixie's eyes with an honest smile and said “Okay.” With that, she circled back around the table to take her own seat across from Trixie once again.

The showmare went back to looking out of the window, pretending not to notice Twilight staring at her. Trixie loved the closeness they shared, of course, she just wasn't used to showing it in public. Not that she would care if ponies thought she and Twilight were strange for cuddling whilst waiting for their lunch. Even so, it was still a little uncomfortable...

Their food arrived after a few more minutes of silence. After flashing their free lunch ticket, Trixie gladly levitated her knife and fork to begin cutting up her pancakes, having not eaten since Pinkie Pie's cupcakes the night before.

Just as she was raising the first forkful to her lips, Twilight spoke up.

“Hey, Trixie?” she said.

Trixie lowered her fork and raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“...I wouldn't want you to change either,” Twilight finished with a smile.

For the few seconds it took to figure out what she meant, Trixie stared blankly. When she got it, she rolled her eyes and her lips curled into a smirk. “You're kidding yourself if you think I'm going to call you 'sweet',” she said, poking the fork playfully towards Twilight.

The lavender unicorn simply giggled as Trixie took the first bite of her food, and the two of them dug into lunch.

* * *

Hours that felt like days later, the two mares found themselves outside the door to room twelve of the Pegasus Down hotel. The 'tour' they had planned ended up being a bust – little more than a quick jaunt down the high street followed by an all-afternoon stay in the Manehattan library... Having been made to follow the Bookish and Apparently Tireless Twilight up and down literally hundreds of aisles of books, it was needless to say that Trixie was looking forward to finally resting her aching legs.

Twilight, with her one newly checked-out book resting atop her back, cast a smile across at Trixie. “Excited?” she asked.

Trixie rolled her eyes, unable to fathom how Twilight had gotten that impression from her look of utter exhaustion. “It's just a room, Twilight,” she said, magically lifting the key to the lock.

“Yes, but it's our room!” Twilight insisted with a grin. “I've never stayed in a hotel before, I can't wait!”

“It's not that interesting, tru--”

Trixie broke off, eyes going wide as she pushed the door open. At her side, Twilight let out a diminutive “Ooo” and poked her head inside.

'Ooo' was right. The dark but warm colour-scheme reminded Trixie very much of the lobby, only the entrance hall before them was a lot more cosy. She took a few tentative steps inside. Straight ahead, at the very end of the hall, there was a door, left open a crack, which presumably led to the bedroom proper.

Twilight wasted no time in brushing past and trotting towards it, only to stop half-way down the corridor and turn to her left. “Oh! There's the couch!” she said brightly.

Curious, Trixie hurried to her side and followed her eyes into another room built off of their corridor – resemblant of a small living room. There were, in fact, a pair of couches in the far corner, forming a half-square around a circular table which held a bottle of wine in a cooler and a pair of champagne flutes. Trixie eagerly stepped inside to get a closer look, whilst Twilight galloped off down the hall, probably to look at the bedroom.

Overall, the room looked very snug. The couches, where Trixie would be sleeping, she reminded herself, were soft and comfortable to the touch, and they were littered with a dozen pillows in various shapes, sizes and shades of red. On the walls, there hung paintings and sketches, some of streets in Manehattan and some depicting more rural landscapes. The whole place was gently lit by firefly globes, either hanging from the walls or from wooden stands in the corners.

'Talk about luxury...' Trixie mused with a smile.

“Um, Trixie?” came Twilight's voice from down the hall.

“What?” said Trixie distractedly.

There was a pause before Twilight spoke again. “You remember how I was insisting on letting you have the bed? Well, I've changed my mind. I'm taking it!”

Grunting in amusement and curiosity, Trixie headed back into the corridor and made her way up to the now-open door that lead into the bedroom. Inside, she found what appeared to be another very cosy room, lit by the sunlight coming in from the glass-paned doors in the far wall, which lead out onto a balcony. Her eyes were drawn to the bed the moment she stepped through the door.

“Oh,” Trixie commented intelligently, feasting her eyes on the pink-sheeted wonder before her, and the lavender unicorn who knelt atop it.

“Mine,” said Twilight firmly as she eyed Trixie with a look of mock warning.

Tilting her head in curiosity, Trixie trotted forwards to prod the bed with her nose. It was soft. Very soft. She couldn't help but lift up her forehooves to test it out properly, only to find that it was, indeed, as light and feathery as it seemed.

In one, rather clumsy motion, she pushed herself up onto the bed and wheeled around to kneel beside Twilight, facing out towards the door. A content smile made its way onto her lips as she practically sank into the mattress.

“I guess that means that you've changed your mind too?” said Twilight slyly.

Trixie forced herself back to the present and glanced sidelong at her partner. “It's... a little more comfortable than I expected,” she admitted.

Twilight giggled. “Judging by that smile, I'd say that's a bit of an understatement.”

The azure unicorn didn't even bother trying to hide said smile as she looked down over the edge of the bed. It really was the comfiest thing she'd ever felt, and she worried that it might make what she wanted to say next quite difficult.

“...You can have it,” Trixie said. Somehow, it wasn't hard at all.

Twilight turned to her with raised eyebrows. “S-sorry?”

“The bed is yours,” Trixie confirmed, hopping down to stand on the carpet. “I don't want it.”

“...Why?” said Twilight cluelessly. “Don't you like it?”

The showmare shook her head and started towards the door. “No. I prefer the couch,” she lied. It might've seemed a little strange, but pretending not to like the bed was easier than telling Twilight the real reason she was giving it to her. For a fleeting moment, she thought that she might escape the room without further comment, only for the hope to be dashed by Twilight calling out to her.

“Wait, Trixie!”

Coming to a stop with her hoof hanging over the threshold, Trixie breathed a quiet sigh. She turned around to offer an 'innocent' smile to the lavender unicorn who was frowning at her firmly. “Yes, Twilight?”

“Why don't you want the bed?” Twilight asked suspiciously.

Trixie rolled her eyes. Of course Twilight had seen through her lie, there was no way that anypony in their right mind could not want that bed, no matter how polite they were trying to be. That Twilight hadn't moved an inch from her half-submerged spot on the mattress spoke volumes to that effect.

“I don't 'not want it',” Trixie began, measuring her words. “I just... don't want you to not have it.”

Twilight blinked.

With a huff, Trixie tried in vain to think of some way to put it that wouldn't sound... 'cheap'. “I'm not being chivalrous, if that's what you think. And I'm not being proud either,” she added quickly. “I want you to have the bed because you've earned it.”

“I--”

“I know you never wanted anything in return,” said Trixie, raising a hoof to forestall Twilight's argument. “But please, after everything you've done... after all the kindness you've shown me--” She huffed and averted her eyes. So much for not making it sound cheesy. “I want to give you the stupid bed, okay?”

A deep silence fell between them, during which Trixie stared at the wall with an insolent expression. When, after a moment, she managed to shake off the embarrassment, she flicked back her mane and drew herself up to look defiantly into Twilight's thoughtful eyes.

“I... don't know what to say,” Twilight managed quietly. “You don't have to do this--”

“Just say 'thank you',” Trixie suggested impatiently.

Twilight's lips twisted into a smile and she let out the faintest of giggles. “Okay... Thank you, Trixie.”

* * *

Interlude - Reflection

“Eyes On You”

Interlude: Reflection

Trixie nudged open the door to the bedroom proper, just enough to poke her nose inside. She felt a little hypocritical for not knocking first, but she really didn't want to wake Twilight if she was actually asleep.

A quick glance around the room told that the bookish unicorn was missing. Curious, Trixie pushed inside and cast her eyes about for some sign of her partner. Twilight's pair of saddlebags still rested at the hoof of the bed, and her stack of books still sat atop her bedside table, so she hadn't gone far.

Across the room, the curtains that hung across the balcony door fluttered in a gentle breeze. The door seemed to have been left open a crack. Trixie crept over and peered out through the glass. It was dark out, but the pale moonlight was enough to illuminate the crouched, lavender figure on the balcony.

Pushing open the door with her snout, Trixie stepped outside, where she found her partner, knelt down and facing out towards the city. To Trixie's surprise, Twilight didn't have her nose in a book for once. In fact, she was looking up into the night sky – heedless of Trixie's approach – and nodding occasionally, as if counting.

“Twilight?” Trixie called out gently.

Twilight gave a start and turned her head. “Trixie! What're you doing out here?”

The showmare smirked at having caught her off guard. “I was coming to tell you to stop studying and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow, after all.” She paused and curled her lip in thought as she stepped up to Twilight's side. “But you're obviously not reading... what are you doing?”

Twilight opened her mouth, but stopped herself short of speaking. After a short pause, she shook her head with a smile and looked out to the sky again. “Nothing, really. I'm just thinking about tomorrow.”

“Care to elaborate?” said Trixie, now standing over the cryptic unicorn.

“Oh, you know. About meeting the other competitors, finding out about the first event, meeting the Princess--” Twilight's casual tone died, and she tried to mask it with a cough.

Despite her efforts, Trixie saw right through her. “Are you still nervous?” she asked, trying to sound sympathetic, even if she was a little miffed.

Twilight flashed a goofy smile towards the horizon. “Of course not. I mean, after you poured your soul into that confession yesterday, it'd be pretty rude of me, wouldn't it?”

Trixie drew back from the sudden jab. “O-oh! You're making fun of the Great and Powerful Trixie?” she said, flicking back her mane and turning her nose up exaggeratedly. “Hmph! Maybe I shouldn't have said anything in the first place.”

Twilight giggled, which brought a smile to Trixie's lips. “If you hadn't, I'd probably still be worrying,” said the bookish mare. She proceeded to nuzzle Trixie's leg affectionately before going back to looking at the stars.

The little gesture sent a warm feeling coursing through the showmare's fetlock, and she was almost disappointed that it lasted for only a split second. Twilight's cuddles weren't exactly much of a rarity anymore, but that didn't mean that Trixie enjoyed them any less.

She reminded herself of the reason she'd come out here in the first place – to tell Twilight to get some rest. It didn't seem like a few more minutes could do any harm though...

With her mouth set in a defiant line, Trixie knelt down beside Twilight and followed her gaze to the sky. The lavender mare cast her a sidelong glance, and simply smiled when Trixie pretended not to notice.

* * *

A few more minutes passed in companionable silence. And then a few more. And probably a few more after that. Twilight couldn't express how grateful she was to have Trixie sitting there beside her. She hadn't even realised it until the azure unicorn stepped out onto the balcony, but she really didn't want to be alone tonight.

Maybe she was still a little tense from leaving Ponyville, and her tiredness was just making that seem worse. If that was the case, then sleep would probably do her some good, just as Trixie had suggested. But she wasn't ready to sleep yet.

If she went to sleep, she would wake up with it being tomorrow. And tomorrow, everything was going to happen all at once. She would never dream of putting it off altogether of course – not with how much it meant to Trixie – but putting it off for just another hour or so couldn't hurt.

The azure mare at her side seemed to stir, as if she was considering something. As curious as Twilight was, she forced herself to keep silent and stare straight ahead, not wanting to put Trixie off.

When at last Trixie spoke, it was with an unusual quietness to her voice. “Twilight, there's something I want to talk to you about--” They both turned at the same time, and their eyes met. “--Before we get caught up in the Display.”

Her tone made Twilight shiver a little. All the same, she did her best to smile encouragingly. “Okay.”

“I've been doing a little 'reflecting' of my own, after our little conversation earlier,” Trixie continued, glancing down at the balcony as she spoke. “Thinking back on how we ended up here.”

Unsure where Trixie was going with this, Twilight simply tilted her head and waited.

“When I first woke up in that hospital tent, after you... found me,” she added awkwardly. “I was confused, and a little disoriented... but that's no excuse for the way I treated you--” She gulped and forced herself to meet Twilight's eyes again, though it obviously wasn't easy. “--Like you were taking advantage of me or something. And it was the same again when you brought me into your home.”

Twilight, admittedly a little awestruck, managed a shake of the head. “It's okay, Trixie. Ponies can do silly things when they're scared, it's not your fault--”

“I wasn't scared,” said Trixie firmly. “I don't have any excuse.”

Twilight's objections died on her tongue.

“But, even with the way I treated you,” Trixie continued. “You never stopped trying to help me. No matter how hard I pushed you away, you just kept being so... so annoyingly kind and understanding.”

The volume of Trixie's voice made Twilight a little uneasy, and she gulped on reflex. “Are you mad at me for that?” the purple mare asked, not quite as casually as she intended.

Trixie licked her lips and turned her gaze out towards the city of Manehattan. “At the time, I might've been. But not anymore. If you hadn't put up with me, hadn't kept trying to help me, then neither of us would be here now. Not on this balcony. Not about to compete in the Display. Not friends.”

“Oh,” said Twilight. It was more of a rasp, really – her mouth had gone completely dry. Must've been the cold, night air.

“I'm... glad--” Trixie began, breaking off almost immediately and curling her lip. “I mean, I'm happy--” She worked her jaw for a moment longer before letting out a sigh and stretching a fetlock to lay in front of her. There was a short pause before she muttered a quiet “Thanks.”

She was clearly disappointed with how it came out, but Twilight was just the opposite. It wasn't often that she got a 'Thanks' from Trixie, especially not one so profound.

On a warm impulse, Twilight stretched out her own fetlock and crossed hooves with Trixie. The touch sent a tingle through her body – familiar and welcome – and she knew that Trixie felt it too. The azure unicorn turned her head to offer a questioning look, but she made no effort to pull away.

Twilight couldn't contain her smile as she stared into those lilac eyes and finished the sentiment that she thought, and hoped, her partner had been trying to get across...

“I'm glad I met you, Trixie.”

The split-second look of surprise that spread across Trixie's face before she melted into a smile was almost enough to make Twilight giggle with glee. The showmare didn't have to say anything for Twilight to know that she felt it too.

In that moment, hoof crossed and eyes locked with Trixie's under the gentle embrace of the moonlight, the bookish mare from Ponyville library was struck by a ridiculously wonderful urge. The warmth of Trixie's coat, the scent of her breath, the glistening of her eyes... Twilight didn't even think, she just felt as if she were being magically drawn forwards...

BANG!

All at once, Twilight pulled her hoof away, shot upright and jumped backwards. What she may or may not have been about to do was stricken from her mind as she cast about for the source of the noise. It wasn't hard to find the near-blinding light of fireworks in the not-so-far distance.

“The opening ceremony,” Trixie breathed, getting to her hooves a lot more casually than Twilight. Apparently, she'd been unfazed by the sudden noise. “How long have we been out here?”

Twilight had to work her mouth for a little before it would make any sound. “L-Longer than I thought,” she muttered. “It must be past midnight.”

Trixie huffed and turned to throw Twilight a mock glare. “If I wake up grumpy, I'm blaming you for keeping me up so late.”

“Me?” said Twilight, creasing her brow. It took a moment for her to actually notice the playful tone, being startled as she was, but then she offered a nervous chuckle. “O-oh, right! Well, then I guess we'd better get to bed.”

With a little smile, Trixie nodded and led the way inside.

* * *

Trixie closed the door behind herself and Twilight, just in time to muffle the next wave of firework explosions. This part of the opening ceremony, which was really more of a simple celebration, would supposedly go on throughout the night, pausing in the morning, shortly before the competitors arrived at the stadium. Luckily for the two of them, that still left a half decent amount of time for sleep before the big day.

As Trixie crossed the length of the room – veering away from Twilight, who headed straight for her own bed – she found herself adopting an excited smile. It all began tomorrow, only forty winks away, as it were. She pushed open the door that led out of the bedroom with nary a second thought--

“Trixie,” Twilight called out suddenly.

An eerie sense of deja vu washed over Trixie, but she tried to shake it off as she turned to her partner. The mare in question had her forehooves perched atop the soft bedspread, and she was smiling thoughtfully as she kept her eyes locked on Trixie.

“Do you want to share the bed?” said Twilight bluntly.

Trixie's hooves locked up. “...What?”

Twilight's smile didn't so much as falter. “Well, it's got to be a lot more comfortable than the couch, and it's plenty big enough for both of us, now that I think about it--” Her voice softened a little. “--Not to mention... I'd kind of like the company.”

Try as she might, Trixie couldn't will herself to come up with a quick quip or smart comment to counter that. It was a perfectly normal-for-Twilight thing to ask, and Trixie wasn't surprised or flushed in the slightest. The room had just gotten unnaturally warm all of a sudden, that was all.

Trixie felt her bottom lip quivering a little, and she bit down on it to make it stop. It wasn't as if she didn't want to sleep on the wonderfully comfortable bed, but there was a part of her which fought against the idea. Sharing a room with Twilight was something she'd been looking forward to since she first heard they were staying in a hotel. Sharing a bed was something she hadn't even considered. It would be... close. Intimate, even...

'Why am I even considering this?' Trixie asked herself, as the room grew hotter by the second. She shook her head and offered Twilight a pained smile.

“T-Trixie will sleep on the couch,” said the not-so-casual showmare. It might've been less awkward to just say 'No, thank you', but she didn't want there to be any confusion.

Twilight opened her mouth, as if to argue, but then closed it again and shook her head with a nervous grin. “Right, of course. It was just an offer.” She hopped up onto the bed and sank gracefully into the mattress. “Goodnight then, Trixie.”

“Goodnight, Twilight,” Trixie managed. She wasted no time in turning for the door again and pushing it open, only to stop half-way over the threshold. Now that the initial discomfort of Twilight's offer had passed, Trixie began to register her words properly.

'...I'd kind of like the company,' she'd said...

A glance back at Twilight told that the purple unicorn was arranging the pillows on her bed with a half-hearted smile on her face. Trixie curled her lip. Now that she thought about it, Twilight had seemed a little 'off' all evening. It wasn't so bad that she looked as if she needed another hug, but still...

An idea struck Trixie. With an 'I'm brilliant' kind of smile, she hurried out of the bedroom...

* * *

Twilight watched Trixie's tail vanish through the door with a solemn frown. She scolded herself for letting her mouth speak before her head again, and wondered whether she'd upset her partner. Sharing a bed might be perfectly normal for Twilight and her friends back in Ponyville, but her relationship with Trixie was different. Everypony seemed to know that by now...

'You can't just go mouthing off without thinking, Twilight,' she told herself, striking a pillow with unnecessary force. 'What if she--'

She jumped in fright as something bashed against her door. A moment later, it swung inwards to reveal something that looked very much like...

“Is that the couch?” she wondered aloud, hopping down from her bed to get a better look.

Sure enough, she found that it was indeed the couch that was lodged part way through her door frame, with a certain azure unicorn on the other side, trying to ram it across the threshold.

“Trixie, what're you doing?” said Twilight, brow creased in disbelief and wonderment.

“What does it... look like?” Trixie grunted between pushes. “If we're going to be room mates... we should at least... sleep in the same room, don't you think?” She stopped pushing, probably realising that she was only making it worse, and threw Twilight a look. “Would you mind?”

Twilight blinked dumbly at her a couple of times, before breaking into a smile. Without thinking to say anything, she lit up her horn, magically reached out to touch Trixie and the couch, and teleported them both into the bedroom.

The showmare hit the floor with a yelp, only for Twilight to pick her up a second later and pull her into a quick hug. Saying 'thank you' would probably be silly, not to mention a little embarrassing, but Twilight was silently grateful all the same.

As the lavender unicorn snuggled into her bed that night, she flashed a smile across the room. Trixie, whose head was resting atop a couch pillow and whose eyes were already half-lidded, returned it sleepily. Twilight would've liked to watch the adorable showmare drift off to sleep, but already her own eyes were drooping, and she knew she'd never make it.

Resigning, she flicked a shroud over the firefly lamp at her bedside and buried her nose into her sheets, comfortable in the knowledge that she wasn't alone.

* * *

16 - Of Colts And Chimaeras (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter sixteen: Of Colts And Chimaeras

“Ha! That's it?” said Trixie, smirking beside herself as she looked down on the three-headed creature. “That thing is tiny compared to the Ursa Minor! Twilight and Trixie will vanquish it easily!”

She flashed a smile over at her partner, only to receive a wide-eyed stare in response.

“Trixie, do you even know what that is?” Twilight said, nodding towards the beast in question.

Trixie tilted her head. “Um, no, not really. But--”

“That's right, folks!” yelled the announcer, over the din that had overtaken the stadium. “Before you stands none other than Mittens – a member of the elusive chimaera species, which is known not only for its rarity and its fantastic appearance, but also for its unique reaction to magic!”

“Unique reaction?” Trixie repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“...Did he say Mittens?” asked Twilight.

“As the more studious among you may know, chimaera hide has been proven to absorb all known forms of direct magic. No enchantments or hexes are going to get past Mittens, so our competitors are certainly going to have to think outside the box in this first event!”

Trixie's face fell. Immune to magic... was that even possible? All down the row, her fellow competitors shuffled and muttered in light of the announcement. Clearly, they were all just as uncomfortable as Trixie was. All except for two, that is – Twilight, who was simply frowning more deeply, as if her fears had just been confirmed, and Flaire...

He was just smiling. Typically, annoyingly, he didn't seem even a little bit fazed by the announcement that he was to face a creature utterly immune to his charms.

Determined to mask her own mounting anxiety, Trixie turned her nose up with a grunt and fixed the chimaera with a firm frown.

“Now, I think it's about time we unveiled just what this event entails, don't you?” said the announcer. “Kindly turn your eyes to the screens, and without further ado, we'll show you!”

As instructed, the competitors all turned to watch the water screen on the opposite side of the stadium. It depicted a red-uniformed pegasus stallion, flexing his wings experimentally as he waited on a balcony near the top of the stands. With his teeth, he held the strap of a small, one-sided saddlebag.

“Inside that pouch is a small amount of a very rare herb called 'nip',” the announcer explained. “I'm sure some of you can guess what it does just from the name, but let's have a little demonstration. Watch closely, and hold onto your seats!”

Trixie cocked her head in question as the pegasus stallion kicked off from his perch and took to the air, gliding down towards the centre of the arena. Once he'd taken off, it was easy to distinguish him from the still-seated crowd, so everypony turned to watch him, rather than the screens. Mittens the chimaera didn't seem to pay him any mind at all.

'What's he doing?' Trixie wondered, squinting to get a better look.

As if to answer her question, the pegasus suddenly flicked his head and flung the pouch towards the ground, just as he was passing over the chimaera. It landed with a near-silent thud at the northern edge of the arena.

Mittens' snake head turned to investigate, but beyond that, the beast still didn't look interested in the slightest.

There was a long pause as the pegasus stallion wheeled around in midair and returned to his perch, whilst the audience continued to watch the pouch. Seconds passed, and murmurs of confusion began to spread through the crowd. Trixie tried to maintain her casual pretence, whilst silently admitting that she was more than a little curious herself.

The snake head stuck out its tongue and hissed towards the pouch.

All at once, the lion head sniffed loudly and its ears perked up, the goat head's eyes steadily widened and the creature's entire body seemed to stiffen.

Trixie and Twilight both gasped as Mittens suddenly burst into action, kicking off from the ground and launching itself towards the pouch. It overshot, and it crashed into the northern wall with such force that it shook the stands. The audience let out yelps and cries, but Mittens didn't seem fazed – it just scrambled back to its paws and batted the pouch away from the wall.

As the creature turned, Trixie couldn't believe her eyes. She saw what could only be described as an excited grin on the face of the lion head as it bent down to try and nose into the pouch. The other two heads joined it a second later, and the three of them actually seemed to be fighting each other to get inside.

“You see, folks, the likes of Mittens can't get enough of this herb! It simply can't resist the smell, so keeping a chimaera and its nip apart is all but impossible. And that, fillies and gentlecolts, is where our competitors come in!”

“...What?” said Trixie shortly.

“Each pair will be given a pouch of nip, and they'll take it in turns stepping into the arena and trying to keep that pouch away from Mittens for as long as possible!”

Trixie's eyes went wide, and she instinctively looked to Twilight. For her part, the lavender unicorn managed only to mouth wordlessly and shake her head.

“Now, before anypony starts to worry, I've been told to assure you all that Mittens is completely tame and completely harmless – our competitors are in no danger of being flattened, eaten or otherwise injured during the event!” said the announcer 'reassuringly'. “But that's not to say that they'll have an easy time of it! Quite the opposite in fact, as they'll be operating under a special handicap--”

“A handicap?” came Earth Twister's voice from somewhere down the row. “What, facing down a frenzied, magic-proof monster isn't difficult enough?”

“The handicap,” the announcer continued. “Is that the use of telekinesis is forbidden. After all, it wouldn't be much of an event if you could just dangle the pouch out of Mittens' reach, now would it? Aside from that though, the competitors may use any magic in their repertoire to accomplish their goal!”

Trixie scoffed. “Aside from telekinesis? We might as well tie our hooves to our chests!”

“What's the matter, Trixie?” said Flaire, shooting her a self-satisfied smirk. “Surely your 'repertoire' extends beyond simple push and pull spells by now?”

Trixie glared at him. Her cheeks burned red from the barb, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of watching her turn away first. She waited until he coolly turned his gaze back to the chimaera – still smiling to himself – before viciously snapping her own head away to hide her blush.

“The event will commence in ten minutes' time with our first pair, so make sure you've all got refreshments, binoculars, etcetera. You won't want to miss a second of this!”

“Um... pardon me?” came a familiar voice from behind Trixie.

“What?” demanded the showmare, turning to glare at the red-scarfed guide that had brought them thus far.

“I'm to show you to the waiting room beneath the stadium,” the mare explained with a smile. “If you'll all follow me this way...”

Trixie groaned as the guide started to lead the way. “What is this, musical chairs?”

Beside her, Flaire gave an annoying little chuckle. “Trixie, I seem to--”

“Shut up, Flaire,” she snapped, stomping after the guide.

* * *

The place felt rather 'dungeon-like', with walls and floors of brownish stone lit by flickering candles which hung from brackets around the room. Aside from the door from which they'd entered, the only way out was a narrow staircase, leading up into the arena itself.

It was at this staircase that Trixie glared, as if doing so would somehow bring about her turn faster. It didn't seem to be working.

Tap, tap, tap.

Two pairs had gone up already, leaving three in the waiting room. Twilight sat quietly in one corner, having said all of two words since they'd gotten down there. She was probably saving her energy, which was a good idea. Trixie might've done the same, if she could've convinced herself to stop pacing.

Tap, tap, tap.

She kept casting glances across at the other end of the room, expecting Flaire to be shooting her another of his cocky smirks. But she never caught him – he was always wrapped up in hushed conversation with his marefriend. What was her name? Rose?

'Tch, supermodel indeed!' Trixie thought with a shake of her head. 'Typical Flaire.'

Tap, tap, tap.

Meanwhile, the smallest of the male competitors, Sandstorm, napped soundly in another corner. Right now, he and Twilight were about the only ones in the room who weren't ticking her off...

Tap, tap--

“Do you mind?!” Trixie snapped, rounding on Earth Twister.

The stallion stopped his hoof about an inch from tapping the ground again and threw a slightly-frightened look in Trixie's direction. She glared to show that she was serious, and he promptly sat down on his haunches and deposited his hooves safely on the ground.

Satisfied, but hardly becalmed, Trixie gave another huff and went back to her pacing. How much longer was this going to take?

“What's the matter?”

She had to double-check to make sure that it was Twilight who spoke. The lavender unicorn was still sat down on her haunches, but she was now watching the pacing showmare with inquisitive eyes.

“What do you think?” said Trixie indignantly. “I'm anxious to get out there.”

“It's about Flaire, isn't it?” said Twilight.

Drawing a faint, shocked gasp, Trixie hurriedly glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Flaire hadn't heard that. When she found, mercifully, that he was still deep in conversation, she turned back to Twilight and glared. “Don't say that so loud! And why would you think that, anyway?”

Twilight offered a lop-sided smile. “No offence, but that reaction kind of confirms it...” She got to her hooves and walked over to Trixie, lowering her voice as she came closer. “Sorry to be blunt, it's just that things aren't quite adding up between you two, and I'm getting curious.”

“What're you talking about?” said Trixie, cocking her head.

“Well, I know I only just met him, but so far he's been nothing but pleasant,” said Twilight. “From the way you talked about him, I had this image of him being a real... er--” She checked to make sure he wasn't listening, before leaning in to whisper. “--A real jerk.”

Trixie gave her a funny look. “Twilight, I told you before – he's very charming around mares. He's not that kind of jerk.”

“Then what is it?” said Twilight. “As far as I can tell, he's been perfectly civil to you, too--”

Trixie gawped. “What? Didn't you hear his comment about my repertoire?”

Twilight cocked her head. “No. What did he say?”

“He... well, it's not--” Trixie found herself struggling. “It's not what he said, it's how he said it...”

Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, another red-scarfed guide – a stallion this time – appeared at the base of the stairs. All eyes turned to him as he cleared his throat.

“Flaire and Desert Rose!” he announced.

Trixie rolled her eyes more heavily than she could ever remember doing. 'Ugh! More waiting...'

The vexatious Flaire and his lovely assistant happily followed the guard up the stairs and out of sight. Trixie could've sworn that she caught a half-faced smirk as Flaire disappeared.

“Trixie,” said Twilight, drawing her attention back to the matter at hoof. “If it's alright with you, I'd like to know the whole story.”

Trixie blinked. “The whole story? As in, what? 'The life and times of Flaire and Trixie'?”

“No, just... what were you two to one another?” huffed Twilight. “I mean, were you school friends or work friends or...” She waved a hoof by way of trying to make herself more clear.

She needn't have. Trixie understood the question perfectly. And it was a perfectly reasonable question to ask, as well. Twilight deserved to understand why her partner was at seemingly random odds with a 'perfectly charming colt'.

“Fine,” said Trixie, proud to hear the word leave her. “But you asked, so don't interrupt me.”

Twilight simply smiled and nodded, waiting eagerly for her to begin.

'The beginning, hmm...' Trixie turned her eyes to the ceiling in thought. Where to begin? There were a lot of memories – was a lot of history – but nopony needed to hear about all that. She wanted to keep this short...

“Flaire and I grew up in Hoofington,” she began. “As children, we were very close, like I mentioned before. So, naturally, we spent a lot of time together...”

She had to force herself to focus.

“...Even when I was young, I always used to show off my magic on whatever stage I could find, whether it was a fountain or a bench, my desk in school... sometimes the kitchen table--”

Twilight giggled at that, spurring Trixie on.

“Anyway, close as we were, I was happy to let Flaire join me for my... 'performances' sometimes. Only... 'sometimes' became 'often', and then 'often' became 'all the time'. The two of us were practically inseparable.

“Everypony loved our shows. Of course, it was just kids at first, but as we grew older, we started to perform 'officially' – in highschool plays, in talent shows... that's when we realised that our skills were good for a lot more than just 'fun'.”

She nodded to herself as the pieces started falling together. “When we were old enough, we set our eyes on the road. I always had a dream of becoming Equestria's most famous showmare, and he wanted to become the face of some... magazine or something, I don't know. Anyway, we didn't think twice – we just packed our bags and set out for the nearest village, determined to start making a name for ourselves.”

Trixie shrugged. “And we were a hit. The village folk we performed for paid us more than enough to get by, and we even stayed a while to enjoy their hospitality. We heard about a magic tournament in the next village over, so that's where we headed next. And from there we just... went with it.”

She couldn't help but smile as distant memories started flooding back. “We were still young,” she muttered. “And we knew that we had a long way to go, but it still felt like the start of a dream come true. I was-- We were happy...”

Trixie gulped down the nostalgia and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to get emotional. In fact, it was never the time to get emotional about Flaire.

Coldly, she forced herself to continue. “Somewhere along the line, that changed. I don't know when it happened, but we started getting... competitive. It was fun, at first, but before long it was like we were duelling, more than we were performing--” She cast a lop-sided frown at the ground. “--And it actually went down well with our audiences, believe it or not. They cheered a lot louder, and we got paid more for each show, so it seemed like a good thing at the time. But...”

'But Flaire always won,' a taunting voice inside her head reminded her. Every duel, every challenge, Flaire managed, somehow, to always beat Trixie in the end. Sometimes it was by a landslide, other times he would taunt her by waiting until the very last second before turning her spells on her head. And every time the audience cheered his name, he would tell them to give Trixie a round of applause as well, for her 'valiant effort' or something along those lines. As if it was all part of the show.

But it wasn't. Trixie had tried her hardest to counter those spells, to one-up Flaire's gambits and wipe that mocking smirk off of his face, only to be foiled at every turn. He was... better.

“But what?”

'Was better,' she told herself. 'He was better. But not anymore. I'm the strong one now.'

“Trixie?”

Snapping out of her reverie, Trixie turned to Twilight, who had her head tilted in question.

“But what?” the lavender mare asked again.

“O-oh!” said Trixie, shaking herself back into focus. “But, uh, it wasn't... 'good' for us. I can't remember any one falling out or argument that did it, but eventually I got sick of it. Of Him--” She glowered a little. “--We were more like rivals than we were anything else, and I'd had enough of him always hu-- always trying to humiliate me. So I left.”

Twilight's eyes went wide. “You just... left? After you'd known each other since childhood?”

Trixie shook her head. He wasn't the same colt she knew in Hoofington. And she wasn't the same mare either. Time and circumstance had seen to that.

“Ponies change, Twilight,” Trixie said coldly.

It looked like Twilight was making to argue, but only for the briefest of moments. She promptly pursed her lips and looked down at the floor with what could easily be mistaken for a smile. “I guess that's true,” she said. “...But it's not always for the worse.”

In light of the dark feelings beginning to creep into Trixie's mind, a warmth of sorts suddenly washed over her cheeks. It only lasted for a second, but it was a refreshing reminder that she shouldn't let 'the bad stuff' get the best of her.

“...Was it hard?” said Twilight, looking up at her again. “I mean... leaving him?”

“Not even a little bit,” said Trixie immediately. “It was the easiest and best decision I ever made. Without him leaning over my shoulder all the time, I could build up my own show, work on my own magic, and make a name for myself. I was the Great and Powerful Trixie, not some second-rate 'lovely assistant' to Flaire. It felt good.”

Twilight cocked her head and frowned. “That sounded a little... rehearsed...”

“Trixie doesn't know what you're talking about,” said Trixie defiantly.

Twilight licked her lips, obviously not certain how to proceed. “So... you really don't regret it at all?”

Trixie closed her eyes and shook her head with such confidence that, when she opened them again and met Twilight's gaze, she was struck by a flash of brilliance.

“I don't regret it,” she said, pausing only to flash Twilight the most self-assured smirk she could muster. “Because if I hadn't gone solo, I might've never gotten the chance to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.”

The lavender unicorn stared dumbly back at Trixie, blinking a couple of times as she took in the perfectly-delivered sentiment. She was obviously at a loss for words, but her reddening cheeks and the smile tugging at her lips spoke for her, just fine.

Eventually, she thought to turn away to hide these signals from Trixie, but not nearly quickly enough that the showmare missed them.

“...Stop doing that,” Twilight muttered quietly.

Trixie's triumphant smirk didn't falter. “I'll stop doing it when you stop blushing,” she countered.

In response, Twilight spun around completely, showing her tail to Trixie whilst muttering something to the effect of “Not blushing...”

Trixie couldn't help but giggle at the adorable display.

They fell into a sort of companionable silence, and Trixie's smile stayed contently on her face for the seconds or minutes that she waited. Her urge to seethe was gone now, and whether that was due to Flaire being out of sight or to her little exchange with Twilight, Trixie was grateful.

Earth Twister and Sandstorm were the next pair to be called up to the arena, but Trixie didn't really mind. They were obviously saving the best for last, which made sense, considering that this was a magic show.

Besides, the wait didn't take long at all – the guide returned no more than five minutes later and cleared his throat. “The Great and Powerful Trixie and--”

“Yes, yes, we gathered that,” said Trixie, masterfully managing an irritated tone despite her excitement. She trotted forwards, waiting only for Twilight to join her before following the guide up the staircase.

The narrow tunnel through which they ascended was also faintly candlelit like the waiting room. The whole place had a very medieval feel to it. For her part though, Trixie couldn't have cared less about the décor, not with what was waiting for her at the top of that stairwell.

Fame. Attention. Applause.

'And a three-headed, magic-proof monster,' she reminded herself. But Mittens didn't really seem like such a big deal, next to all that.

Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice the frown on Twilight's face. “What?” she asked.

“You didn't let him say my title,” Twilight pouted.

Trixie had to stifle a giggle at that. “Oh, my apologies, Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle. Getting a taste for it, are we?” she said teasingly. She leant in close and lowered her voice. “Maybe you'd like me to call you that from now on?”

“Oh, go away!” Twilight laughed, bumping into her side.

As they crested the top of the staircase, they came before a two-pony-wide metal portcullis, beyond which the late morning sunlight glared down on the grey stonework of the arena. The stallion leading them took up position beside a lever on the left-hoof wall.

A second stallion beside the grate drew Trixie's eye – the earth pony tamer who had introduced Mittens. He looked younger up close, Trixie guessed that he couldn't be much older than herself or Twilight.

“Howdy, fillies,” he greeted. “How're ya both doin'? Excited, I'm sure!”

“To win the event and rub it in our competition's faces? Of course I'm excited,” said Trixie, smirking to herself.

“That's the spirit!” cheered the tamer. “Now, I'm just here to answer any questions ya might have about Mittens or the event, so ya can go in there with a clear head, like.”

“Trixie has no questions. Let's just--”

“Um, actually,” Twilight broke in, stepping forwards. “There is one thing, if that's okay with you?” She glanced over at Trixie.

The showmare, feeling a little psyched out, hesitated before nodding dumbly.

Twilight flashed her a grateful smile before turning back to the tamer. “I just wanted to ask... isn't this kind of cruel? I mean, keeping the nip away from... Mittens. Won't it get mad?”

“Mad? Are you kiddin'?” chuckled the tamer. “No, Mittens loves it! He loves the sport, and the exercise does him a world of good to boot! Honestly, you should've seen his grins...” He shook his head and smiled beside himself.

“So... it really is safe then?” said Twilight doubtfully. “He won't get mad or overexcited or anything?”

The tamer shrugged and waved towards the arena. “He's never 'urt anypony yet. And I've been playing this game with him for years! Although, I haven't got any magic so it's not as challenging for him when I do it... But yeah, you're safe. I'll step in if anythin' does go wrong. Trust me, I'm a professional.”

With a proud smile, he turned his body to reveal his cutie mark – a lion, snake and goat head, underlaid by a bright, pink heart.

Twilight and Trixie each raised an eyebrow.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, thank you for your patience!” came the announcer's voice from outside. “It's now time for our final performance of the morning, and it's from a pair that I, personally, have been looking forward to!”

As if receiving his cue, the red-uniformed stallion suddenly pulled the lever, and the portcullis began lifting from the ground, opening the path into the arena. Trixie felt the excitement well up in her chest, and actually had to bite her lip to keep from squealing.

To Trixie's pleasant surprise, Twilight seemed to be smiling too, albeit much more modestly. It would do for a start.

Together, they put their best hooves forward and strode out into the sunlight, to roars and cheers from the crowd.

“And here they are! The Great and Powerful Trixie and the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle! And it's just as much of a mouthful the second time around! Let's hear it for these two!”

Trixie took a deep, content breath and closed her eyes, revelling in the wondrous attention and reverence of her audience. It was an incredible feeling, louder and more fervent than any applause she'd had before. And she hadn't even won yet! The very thought of even greater cheers to be had brought a wide grin to her face.

The two of them came to a stop in the very centre of the arena and faced the giant portcullis in the western wall, behind which Mittens no doubt waited in the darkness. In the corner of her eye, Trixie caught sight of the competitors' box, and a certain stallion looking down at her from within. She felt more than she saw the smirk on his face...

'He won't be smiling when Twilight and I thrash his time,' she thought to herself. 'We'll see who humiliates who this time.'

With a smirk and a defiant grunt, the showmare lifted her nose and fixed her gaze on the giant grate again, just as it started lifting up from the ground. She could almost feel the tension coming off of Twilight, at her side. Trixie had to admit to feeling a little thrillful herself.

A heavy clunk echoed across the stadium as the grate locked itself fully-open. In the darkness, Trixie could just about make out three pairs of eyes...

A large paw crept out. It waited, then was joined by a second. The head of the lion was the first to emerge from the dark curtain, eyes trained solely on Trixie and mouth set in a firm line. Its brothers joined it – the eyes of the snake and goat heads surveying the stands as the chimaera stepped forth.

As the huge portcullis cautiously lowered itself shut, the beast took a few more steps forward, before coming to a staring stop.

Trixie's mouth suddenly became rather dry. Mittens really hadn't seemed that big from up in the stands...

At her side, Twilight made a gulping noise. “Um, ready?” squeaked the lavender unicorn.

Trixie managed a wide-eyed nod. “O-of course. Do you have any idea what we're going to do?”

Twilight gave a nervous chuckle. “Not a clue. It's kind of... exciting, really.”

“Exciting?” Trixie repeated, eyeing the beast's slowly-wagging scorpion tail. She lowered herself into a ready position. “You really are getting a taste for this.”

A single, strapped saddlebag landed in front of them. The pegasus who'd apparently dropped it was quick to fly away, back towards his perch atop the stands.

Mittens made an inquisitive snort.

“As before, the timer starts when Mittens makes his first move!” said the announcer. “I'd like to wish the two of you good luck from all of us up here in safety! Remember, absolutely no telekinesis is allowed. Stay calm, don't panic and-- Whoa, he's off!”

Without warning, Mittens surged forwards, shaking the ground with the sudden force. The lion head wore a crazed grin and its tongue trailed from its mouth, giving it a distinctly deranged look, the likes of which Trixie had never seen.

Getting out of the way suddenly seemed like a very, very good idea. But Trixie's hooves refused to do anything, despite knowing full-well that she was about to enter into a very painful situation...

Mittens bounded closer. It'd be on them in seconds.

Twilight was frozen, just as Trixie.

Trixie's mind started to fade into darkness. Speak. Scream. Move. Nothing worked! The only thing that made any sense was the slow-motion image of the charging chimaera and its crazy eyes.

Its stomping paws shook the stadium, but the sound was muffled. The crowd was a low hum. Her heart beat in her ears.

And then...

“Gah! Trixie!”

Twilight's voice pulled Trixie back to reality, but she didn't have time to react as the lavender unicorn leant down, picked up the pouch with her teeth and crossed their necks in a hug.

The showmare's eyes widened to accommodate the massive chimaera bearing down upon them.

And then it was gone. A flash of light, the world twisted, and the next thing Trixie knew, she was staring at a wall on the opposite side of the arena.

“Mmph!” Twilight spat the pouch from her mouth and drew back to meet Trixie's eyes with a look of panicked concern. “Trixie, are you okay?”

“Y-yes?” Trixie guessed. “What--”

“I teleported us,” said Twilight, turning to look at something over Trixie's shoulder.

Trixie followed her eyes to the other side of the arena. There stood Mittens, looking thoroughly dazed and confused as it stumbled around – as if it'd just hit its head against the wall. Heads, even.

“Wh-ow! For a minute there, I thought we were in for a five second round but... wow! Mittens didn't know what hit him! I haven't seen a spell like that in a long time!”

Shaking herself, Trixie finally managed to register just what'd happened during that split second. Twilight had saved her again. Not necessarily from harm, but from humiliation at the very least. And that would've been just as bad, if not worse.

There would be time later to scold herself for freezing up. For now, she offered Twilight a smile and a quiet “Thank you.”

Naturally, Twilight just gave a dismissive shake of her head and returned the smile.

On the other side of the arena, Mittens was starting to regain its balance. There wasn't a lot of time...

“Trixie,” said Twilight. “I think I can confuse it some more. I need you to run that way, over towards the grate. I'll take the nip and circle around the other way--”

“What? Why? It'll go straight for you!” said Trixie disbelievingly.

Twilight glanced tensely to the side. “Well, do you have any ideas?”

“I--” Trixie racked her brain, but nothing availed her. She supposed that she could try to throw Mittens off with some stage magic, but after that... It didn't make for much of a plan.

“It's a lot easier to teleport by myself,” said Twilight. “Going together would just take up more energy. You need to think of our next move while I distract it. Okay?”

Trixie opened her mouth, closed it, then looked towards the chimaera across the way, the lion head of which had already turned to face them. There wasn't time to argue as to whether it was the best plan. It was a plan, and it would have to do...

“O-okay. Okay,” Trixie managed, starting to take a few steps backwards. She kept Twilight's eyes in the centre of her view, reluctant to break away from those violet orbs. The words “Good luck” were lost on her tongue, but Twilight seemed to get the message.

A short, vigorous roar signalled Mittens' recovery.

Twilight broke eye contact.

As some spell seemed to break along with it, Trixie watched the brave and slightly-crazy lavender unicorn turn and gallop away, skirting the wall of the arena. The beast broke into a charge towards her, eyes locked determinedly upon the pouch. And so it began...

Forcing her hooves into action, Trixie spun around to gallop in the opposite direction, towards the largest grate, as Twilight had told her. She watched over her shoulder as Mittens advanced on her partner, who hadn't gotten very far at all by comparison.

In seconds, Mittens was upon Twilight again, lunging forwards to try and steal the pouch.

Twilight was gone in a flash, appearing again on the other side of the arena.

The beast managed to grind itself to a halt just before hitting the wall, and it only took a couple of seconds for it to recover before storming off after Twilight again.

Twilight herself kept it up for an impressive while. Mittens would charge her, she would vanish in the nick of time and reappear somewhere else. Each time, it would be a little bit closer, and each time, Mittens got a lot faster.

Trixie's attempts to come up with a plan took second place to her watching in awe of the lavender unicorn flashing around the arena, like lightning. The crowd cheered and applauded for every dodge, and Trixie almost had to fight the urge to do the same. It really was incredible.

'If I could do magic like that...'

But it wasn't to last forever.

Six or seven teleports later, Mittens drew itself up, let out another roar and unfurled its wings – three ponies long, each way. It leapt towards Twilight – to gasps and cries from the audience – covering the entire arena in a single bound and crashing down with such force that shook the ground.

Twilight was gone when it got there of course, but the chimaera didn't even pause to recover before jumping again. And again. And again. The lavender unicorn was having to teleport again almost as soon as she reappeared each time.

“Looks like Mittens has gotten wise to the trick!” yelled the announcer. “I hope these two have something else up their sleeves, otherwise they're in trouble!”

He was right. With slim to no time to rest, even the great Twilight Sparkle was going to wear herself out before long.

But what could Trixie do about it? She'd yet to come up with any kind of plan. Her own repertoire of spells really didn't extend beyond stage magic, and pulling a bouquet of flowers from behind Mittens' ear didn't promise to help very much.

Twilight's final teleport saw her appearing in the middle of the arena, breathless and obviously exhausted. True to form, the chimaera showed no such fatigue – pouncing again almost immediately.

With a gasp, Trixie hurried forwards on instinct, hoping to help... somehow. Maybe take the pouch and make a break for it?

But Mittens was much faster – it would reach Twilight long before she did.

From the centre of the arena came a surge of magic. In the time it took Trixie to blink, Twilight had become surrounded by a hemisphere of purple light. A shield spell...

Trixie ground her hooves to a halt, not even half-way there, as Mittens crashed down and rose to loom over the shell. With the same, excited grin as before, the lion head darted down to retrieve its prize, only to hit its nose on the forcefield and draw back.

The snake hissed at the shield, whilst the lion and goat blinked, as if dumbstruck. For a fleeting moment, it seemed like the beast might actually be given pause – which would give Twilight time to catch a breath – but it was not to be.

A few seconds was all it took before Mittens poked the barrier again with its nose. The other two heads moved in from different angles to do the same, whilst the beast started batting the sides with its paws, trying to find some way in.

Twilight was struggling – her body was low and she had her face screwed up in concentration...

“It looks like Twilight Sparkle is struggling, folks! And what is her partner up to? Could this be part of their plan--”

Trixie snarled, wishing he would shut up. As if wasn't hard enough to think already, with the stress of watching a vicious chimaera bear down upon her friend.

Mittens put its paws either side of the shield and started trying to lift it off.

That was it. There was no time. If stage magic was all she could come up with, then stage magic would have to do.

“Twilight, send it here!” she yelled, flailing a hoof frantically to get her partner's attention.

The lavender unicorn craned an eye open, saw Trixie's gesture, then closed it again painfully. She dropped the pouch. Her shield flickered ominously.

Then, with a faint flash, the pouch appeared in front of Trixie's hooves.

Mittens' curious assault stopped abruptly. An eerie, unexpected silence fell over the stadium.

As the beast sniffed the air and turned its heads every which way in search of its target, Trixie hurried forwards and scooped the pouch up with her mouth, determination burning in her chest. 'My turn...'

Mittens rounded on Trixie. Its eyes scanned her face first, then moved down to the pouch.

With its attention drawn, Twilight could finally drop her shield and catch a breath. Now all Trixie had to do was keep it distracted until the lavender unicorn could recover and get back in the game. 'All she had to do...'

The chimaera surged forwards.

Inspired or driven mad by Twilight's valiant efforts, Trixie felt a renewed confidence taking hold. She gulped, shifted her neck, then galloped straight towards Mittens, drawing more shocked gasps from the audience.

The announcer was yelling something too, but Trixie blocked it out. She needed to focus.

She lit up her horn and aimed it towards the ground in front of Mittens' paws, summoning forth a small, brown paper bag. When the bag hit the ground, it ripped open, and out rolled dozens of tiny marbles, spreading out in every direction.

But Mittens was too massive. The glass balls shattered beneath its paws and it charged on, unhindered.

Barely fazed, Trixie tried another gambit. She summoned a bouquet of flowers right in front of the lion head's nose. It collided with them headlong, sending out a cloud of petals and pollen which was enough to make it sneeze, but little more. It recovered and continued its charge.

'This is not my forte!' Trixie screamed inwardly, narrowing her eyes for one last spell before the beast reached her.

From her horn, she brought forth a brilliant, blinding flash of light, directed straight towards Mittens. All six of its eyes screwed up at once, and it let out wild howls of shock from each of its heads as one of its paws slipped out from beneath it.

Thinking fast, Trixie changed direction and galloped to the side as Mittens came crashing down to the ground, sliding to a halt where she had been standing just a second before. When the floor stopped shaking and the vibrations stopped making her ears ring, she heard roaring cheers from the stands.

The showmare felt a rush of euphoria as she realised that she'd actually just managed to land an attack.

With Mittens down for the moment – though it was rapidly blinking to clear its eyes and struggling to get back on its paws – Trixie chanced a look across at Twilight. The lavender unicorn was sat on her haunches in the centre of the arena, eyes closed and still catching her breath. That she hadn't seen Trixie's awesome spellcast was a bit of a put-down, but there would be other chances.

Another idea started to form within her mind as she darted towards the far wall of the arena. There was one trick she always used when she wanted to beat a hasty retreat, and if she could alter it just a little...

Trixie stopped, knelt down and hurriedly put the pouch to one side, knowing that she had to be quick. She channelled magic into her horn and touched it to the ground, pouring the spell into the stonework beneath her.

A glyph of glowing magenta appeared in the stone, fading into nothingness a second later. Trixie smirked.

With the trap laid, she grabbed the pouch and dashed onwards, making sure to keep a clear line between herself, Mittens, and the now-hidden magic trigger.

It was only seconds before the clueless chimaera started giving chase.

Trixie continued her run, slowing down when she neared the wall and finally coming to a very calm stop as she turned to face the approaching Mittens. Well, a kind of calm stop, but she hoped that she came across as very calm...

The beast thundered towards her, but Trixie stood her ground.

Mittens grinned and lowered its head, obviously thinking that it had her trapped. How wrong it was.

Just a few more steps and...

“Yes!” Trixie cheered, as her glyph lit up in front of the chimaera, who didn't even have time to react before a cloud of smoke blew up in its faces.

It reared up in surprise as each of its heads got a mouth and noseful of the fumes, sending them into fits of coughing and spluttering.

Pressing her advantage, Trixie sent forth a barrage of magical fireworks from her horn, setting them off between herself and Mittens. The colours never did show up well in the daylight, but the sound was perfect.

The chimaera drew back from the bombardment of noise, in obvious awe of Trixie's power. Trixie herself just smirked more widely. She was in her element now – using her magic to convince her audience that she had more power over it than she really did. And believing the illusion, in turn, made it true.

'What next? Lightning? Another light spell?' she wondered, as she took a second to let herself cool down from the rapid casting. 'Maybe I could try using its tail for some kind of rope trick--'

All of sudden, Mittens shook himself and hopped backwards, landing in a ready-to-pounce pose. Its wings shot out, its eyes all narrowed, and the lion head grunted air through its nose.

'Oh...' Trixie's smirk fell. 'It's looking at me.'

Mittens pounced.

It was probably bluffing. It wouldn't really try to eat her or squash her or anything. Even so, finding herself unable to think of a spell to counter the attack, Trixie's urge to run was prevalent.

And run she would have, if not for the vicious, completely-out-of-nowhere gust of wind that blasted her in the face a split second later. Her mane blew out of order, her cape billowed out behind her, she actually had to screw up her eyes to protect them. The gale was so strong that she feared simply lifting a hoof from the ground would be enough to send her flying.

With great difficulty, she managed to squint up towards Mittens. It was still in midair, and still coming straight towards her, though its 'flight path' looked a little erratic...

The only thing Trixie could think to do amidst her confusion and panic was to make herself as small as possible and cling to the ground for dear life.

The chimaera crashed into the wall overhead. The wind stopped immediately. Another eerily-still silence prevailed.

For one, heart-stopping moment, it looked like Mittens was going to collapse right on top of her. But, as the beast fell, it pushed off from the wall with one foreleg and twisted its body to fall backwards instead.

It crashed down with a ground-shaking thud and rolled. In a rather impressive display of deftness for something that size, it used the momentum to push off from the ground again and roll in midair. It tumbled once more before finally landing on all fours and grinding itself to a halt, some way away from Trixie, who simply gawped to express the blankness of her mind.

A familiar flash of light heralded the appearance of Twilight Sparkle at her side, the sight of whom woke Trixie right up.

“T-Twilight!” she said, scrambling to her hooves. “Was that you?”

“Yes – I used a wind spell,” said Twilight proudly.

Trixie blinked, then smiled. “Wind spell... that was quick thinking. How did you know it wouldn't fall on me?”

“Well, I-- Uh...” Twilight bit her lip and glanced to the side.

Trixie narrowed her eyes. “You did know it wouldn't fall on me, right?”

Twilight scratched her neck awkwardly. “Uh... Ah!” She pointed at Mittens. “It's coming this way!”

A quick glance revealed that the beast was, indeed, fully recovered and charging them again, and this time it was uncomfortably close already.

Panicking, Trixie turned to Twilight. “Can't you do something?”

“Like what?” said Twilight, shooting her a look.

Trixie shook her head hopelessly and started backing away towards the wall, eyes wide as plates as she watched Mittens bear down upon them. “Shield will do!” she blurted out.

Just in time, a purple dome shot up around the two of them – with barely enough room to take a single step in each direction. Trixie breathed a relieved sigh, not rightly caring about living space right now.

The chimaera ground its paws to a halt just short of the dome and twisted its body, bringing the goat head down like some kind of battering ram. It bounced off with a dazed “Baa” but the other heads promptly took its place, prodding, striking and looking for a weakness like before.

“What now?” grunted Twilight, giving Trixie a one-eyed look whilst she struggled to maintain the spell.

Trixie racked her brain...

A look up at the clear sky was all it took to spark her inspiration.

Hastily, she lifted her horn and poured her magic into it, focusing on the spot over Mittens' heads. Dark vapour began to swirl in the air, casting eerie shadows over the ground as it slowly clustered together. A black cloud took began to take shape overhead, and a spark of electricity arced through it, signalling that the spell was ready.

“Hurry!” Twilight pleaded.

Trixie didn't need telling twice.

She flicked her horn, and a bolt of lightning lashed down from the cloud, striking the ground near one of the beast's paws and scorching the stonework. Mittens jumped back in fright, almost tripping over itself to get away from the impact.

Seizing her advantage, Trixie brought another bolt down on its other side.

Mittens recoiled again, jumping further this time and letting out a distorted howl.

With some of the pressure taken off of Twilight, the lavender unicorn was able to open her eyes and see what was going on.

“...What's it doing?” she asked.

Another bolt crashed down just outside the dome, and Mittens dared not to approach.

“It's... afraid of lightning?” Trixie guessed. All she knew was that it was working, and she wasn't about to complain about the first sure-fire weapon she had against the creature.

Of course, no matter how scared it was, Mittens was driven. After the fourth bolt, he started shaking himself. Apparently, the shock was wearing off.

During the pause, it bounded forwards to make another pass at the nip. Trixie brought a bolt down in front of the beast, and it was enough to make it stumble and jump back again.

Trixie smirked beside herself. “Ha! Trixie has found your weakness! We have you now, Mittens!”

“You're doing really well,” said Twilight encouragingly. “Just be careful not to hit the shield.”

Trixie flicked back her mane. “Tch. I won't hit the shield. I happen to be an exp--”

Mittens interrupted her with a roar from the lion head as it recovered from the fright of the latest bolt.

“Hey!” snapped Trixie, shooting Mittens a glare. “Don't interrupt the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

She brought another bolt down, this one striking the beast straight on the rump. Instead of leaving a scorch mark as Trixie had intended, the lightning strike simply seemed to disperse harmlessly into Mittens' coat.

It gave a half-yelp, as if it'd been expecting to feel pain, but none came. When it realised this, Mittens glanced between Trixie, its own rump and the cloud, apparently putting the pieces together.

Trixie's self-satisfied smirk died on her face. When Twilight threw her the dirtiest of looks, the showmare responded with a sheepish grin. “Aha... oops.”

In one, terrible movement, Mittens reared up, batted the cloud with a paw and pushed it straight down onto the top of the shield. Trixie recoiled from the edge of the barrier as electricity began to course through it.

And then it shattered.

With a sound resemblant of smashing glass, the barrier broke into hundreds of tiny, translucent shards, which drifted downwards as they faded from existence. Twilight, after her spell had been so suddenly and unexpectedly overpowered, offered a dizzy smile and a giggle as she toppled over onto her side.

Now, the only thing that stood between Mittens and its prize was Trixie. And, by the looks on the chimaera's faces, it knew this. What it didn't know was that Trixie wasn't going to give up without a fight.

She planted herself firmly above the pouch of nip and started to channel another smoke screen spell into her horn as Mittens drew closer. “Trixie will not-- Ah!”

The goat head leaned across, bit down on Trixie's tail and lifted her into the air, without even the courtesy to let her finish her spell. Suddenly finding herself upside-down, Trixie squealed and flailed her hooves. “Hey! That's not fair! Let go!”

While she was... occupied... the lion and snake heads moved in towards the unguarded pouch.

“No!” Trixie cried.

“That's it!” the announcer confirmed. “Stop the clock, Mittens has the pouch! It's all over! What a spectacular show--”

Trixie groaned and let her head hang, even as applause rang out through the stadium. She knew it was her fault they'd lost – if she hadn't lashed out with the lightning spell, they might've got at least another twenty seconds on the clock. Of course, she knew that one of them would tire out and make a mistake eventually, but she was kind of hoping that it wouldn't be her.

Then again, she would never wish for Twilight to make a mistake on her first performance either – after all, her nerves were bad enough as it was. 'Ugh, maybe it would help if I wasn't looking at this upside-down,' she mused.

“Hey, you!” she called out, trying to look up at the goat head that held her. “Congratulations, you got your nip. Now put Trixie down!”

There was a short pause.

Next thing Trixie knew, she was on her belly on the stone floor and Mittens was bounding off to another part of the arena to enjoy its prize. Trixie grumbled to herself as she got to her hooves.

“Uhwah?” said Twilight, stirring in her semi-conscious state. “W-where am I?”

Trixie coolly brushed off the shoulders of her cape. “One graceful flop from where you were ten seconds ago. Wake up, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight complied, blinking the dizziness from her eyes and craning her neck to get a look around. When she realised that she was laying on cold, hard stone, she quickly got to her hooves. “O-oh, right, sorry. I--” Her eyes widened as they settled upon Mittens, across the way. “--Oh no! We lost?”

“Not necessarily,” said Trixie, determined to keep up her image of coolness for the audience. “We still don't know what our time was, compared to the others'...”

...But she didn't need to know in order to feel the sneaking, anxious sense that it wasn't good enough.

“An excellent performance, you two!” came the announcer's voice. “Some impressive raw power from one and some rather creative use of stage magic from another. Didn't I tell you these two were a pair to watch, fillies and gentlecolts?”

Trixie gave a start as the arena wall began to emit a low grumble. At first, she couldn't tell that anything was happening. But then several long, stone slabs started sliding outwards, forming a staircase which lead all the way up to the top of the wall.

“Please, come on up and rest your weary hooves! You've earned it, after that performance!”

Trixie cast a sidelong glance at Twilight before wordlessly starting forwards.

The lavender unicorn hastened up alongside to throw her a look of concern. “You seem upset,” Twilight said. There was a short pause, before her ears drooped a little. “Did I mess up?”

Trixie sighed. “No, you didn't. I did. And right in front of Flaire, too,” she added, shooting a glare up towards his seat. “No doubt he'll be rubbing it in my face the moment we get up there.”

“Oh,” said Twilight, clearly not sure whether she was allowed to be relieved as well as sympathetic. “Um, well, I'll stick up for you if he gives you trouble,” she said awkwardly.

At that, Trixie couldn't help but give a little chuckle. “I can handle Flaire, Twilight...” She shot her a smile. “But thank you.”

At the top of the stairs, they found themselves right beside the entrance to the competitors' box. The seats were all in a single row – just as before – which meant that they had no option but to file in. And, naturally, the pony sitting closest to them was the vexatious Flaire, offering his little, 'welcoming' smile.

Despite Trixie's assurances that she could handle it, she found herself clumsily pushed aside by Twilight, who clambered to get in first. The azure unicorn made to call her out on it, but quickly found that she didn't really want to. Instead, she settled for smiling at her friend's kindness and filing in behind her.

True to form, Flaire's voice kicked up as soon as Trixie's flank hit the seat. To her surprise, however, he wasn't addressing her...

“That, Twilight Sparkle, was a fantastic display of magic,” he said, flashing the mare a smile. “Particularly that wind spell – I've never seen anything quite like it! Where did you learn all of that?”

Clearly caught off guard, Twilight stammered. “O-oh, um, thank you. I-I learned everything I know from... the Princess. A-and books. I read a lot of books.”

“Fascinating,” said Flaire. “A student of the Princess...”

“Um, d-don't you think Trixie was good too?” said Twilight, leaning back and smiling expectantly as she gave them a clear line of sight to one another. “I mean, I thought her smoke screen trap was clever. I-I never thought of using glyphs.”

Trixie stifled an eye roll. She knew that Twilight was trying to be helpful, but--

“But of course!” said Flaire, turning his smile on Trixie.

'Here it comes...'

“I had my doubts, Trixie, but you really have improved a lot since our last encounter,” he said. “I'm very impressed. You know, after seeing that, imagining you fighting an Ursa Minor doesn't seem outrageous at all.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow.

“I certainly hope that we get a chance to test our skills against one another, later in the Display,” Flaire continued. “Just like the good old days. It'd be nice, don't you think?”

It was a rhetorical question – he turned to face out towards the arena a second later. When Twilight threw her a 'Did I do good?' smile, Trixie humoured her by returning it, before staring down at her lap to puzzle over Flaire's words.

'Why would he be so... nice?' she wondered. 'He didn't even tease me about the marbles, or the stupid mess up with the lightning. It doesn't--'

A disturbing thought crossed her mind.

She glanced at Flaire and the self-satisfied smirk on his face. Then she glanced at Twilight... and the content smile on hers.

Trixie blinked.

'Can't be,' she told herself shortly, forcing her eyes back down to the arena and thoroughly denying the train of thought.

“Well, fillies and gentlecolts, that brings us to the end of our first event,” said the announcer. “Let's all give a big hoof to Mittens for being such a great sport and not maiming anypony! Mittens, everypony!”

The chimaera, waiting beside his tamer just outside the open portcullis, puffed out his chest and smiled as the sound of applause reached his ears. Trixie grunted amusedly. Obviously, there was a bit of showmare in him too.

As the praise died down, he and his tamer turned and made their way down into the darkness, and the grate closed behind them.

“That was something, eh, folks? I'm exhausted just from having watched those performances! Thanks to our competitors for putting on such a great show – I think we can all agree that they each deserve another applause. But first, it's time to reveal the winners of the first event!”

Trixie sat up in her seat, ears perked up and eyes staring attentively towards the closest water screen.

“First up, with a difference of only three seconds between them, we have Violet and Nightshade in fifth place, followed by Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom in fourth!”

A light applause started up as the screen blurred to show each of them in turn. The ebon-coated pair in fifth place looked a little dejected, which was understandable. As for the other pair, Bay Dasher was still sat with his fetlocks folded and a firm frown on his face, and Cherry Blossom just looked as serene and calmly happy as ever... What they felt, Trixie had no idea.

“In third place, by a margin of seven seconds, the brothers Earth Twister and Sandstorm!”

“Third, not bad!” Twister commented, bumping hooves with his brother in the midst of their slightly louder applause.

Trixie rolled her eyes. Who, in their right mind, could call third place 'not bad'?

“And in second place...”

Trixie's eyes snapped wide, only just realising that her name hadn't been called yet.

“...by a margin of nineteen seconds...”

She glanced over at Flaire, who looked just as calm as ever. For her part, Trixie's heart was starting to hammer faster. The shaky frown on Twilight's face said that she was in the same ship.

“...this lovely couple, it's Desert Rose and Flaire!”

“Ha!” Trixie let out a noise somewhere between a gasp, a giggle and relieved sigh as applause broke out around the stands. At her side, Twilight cupped her hooves over her mouth to hide a similar noise.

“But, that means--”

“That's right, folks, you all know what that means! Taking first place by an utter landslide of thirty-seven seconds more than the closest pair, I give you the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle!”

The applause that broke out for them now was even greater than the one that greeted them when they'd stepped into the arena. Trixie flashed her most gracefully amazing smirk as the camera turned to her, drawing her beautiful, triumphant face onto the screens for everypony to see.

And this was still just a stepping stone... The real applause and adoration would come right at the end. There was still a ways to go yet.

She turned her smirk to the side and saw the beaming grin on Twilight's face as she gazed around at her adoring audience.

“Ha,” said Trixie shortly, snapping Twilight out of her daze and drawing a questioning look. “I knew there was a showmare in there somewhere.”

Twilight opened her mouth, closed it again, then simply gave a little, mirthful chuckle before going back to her revelling.

Trixie leant forwards to get a look at Flaire, hoping to catch a glimpse of a pout or a snarl or something. What she saw instead was a smile as Flaire clopped a hoof against the stonework. He was clapping...

“Congratulations, Trixie,” he said, pausing to offer a wink. “You earned it.”

Trixie literally had to fight herself to keep her jaw from dropping. Whether it was in shock, outrage or something else entirely, she didn't know. Whatever the case, she managed to overpower herself after a moment of staring and pulled herself back into her seat.

'What's he playing at?' she asked herself. 'Why is he being so...'

“Congratulations to you as well, Twilight,” came Flaire's voice. “You truly are very talented.”

Though Trixie outright refused to turn and look, she saw Flaire shaking Twilight's hoof out of the corner of her eye. Something started to boil in her chest...

She kept a lid on it. This wasn't the time to let him get to her. She'd just won. She'd just beat him. Not directly... but it was still a start.

And a start was enough to smile about.

“Alright, alright, let's settle down! Congratulations to our winners and another warm thank you to everypony for their spectacular performances. And to those of you who didn't do as well as you'd hoped, don't fret! Tomorrow is your chance to redeem yourselves!”

Trixie's ears perked up again.

“That's right! The second event will be held tomorrow! The unveiling will be at noon this time around, to allow for our competitors to rest up a bit. But that's the only break they'll be getting! Following the unveiling, they'll be thrown straight into the event! No practise, no preparation, no warning! ...Well, except that one. Good luck to you all, now go and rest up!”

With all the information she needed in tow, that was one suggestion that Trixie was all too happy to take to heart. She rose to her hooves, rolled her neck and smiled towards the sky.

“Got a plan?” Twilight guessed, still in her seat.

Trixie smirked and shook her head. “No. After that--” She nodded towards the arena. “--I just need to do something to relax.”

Twilight quirked a brow. “Something like?”

“Like going home and collapsing on my couch,” said Trixie lightly.

Twilight giggled. “Well, that doesn't sound like a lot of fun.”

“Oh?” said Trixie, throwing her a sly smile. “Then maybe Trixie should keep our room's complimentary bottle of champagne to herself.”

Twilight's eyes widened a little. “O-oh...”

Trixie proffered a hoof and an inviting smile. “Shall we?”

* * *

17 - Seeking Answers (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter seventeen: Seeking Answers

The sounds of mirth rang throughout the bedroom as Twilight and Trixie sat, giggling companionably, upon the couch, sipping from their glasses and chattering whenever they found a pause for breath.

“Y-you're not serious!” said Twilight, between giggles. “You call him 'Old Man' because his forehead wrinkles when he smiles?”

“It used to,” Trixie corrected with a smile and a shake of her head. “You probably noticed that it doesn't anymore, but when we were children, he used to get really riled up about it. Believe it or not, he used to throw some very amusing tantrums.”

Twilight gave a little snort of disbelief. “But that's terrible! You teased him about his looks?”

“Oh, come on, Twilight. We were children, it was all fun, really. Besides, it's not like he didn't have nicknames for me as well.”

“Oho?” said Twilight, attention perked. “Such as?”

Trixie opened her mouth, closed it, then quickly turned her head away. “I-I don't remember.”

Twilight gave a little chuckle, punctuated by a loud hiccup that made her cover her mouth with a hoof. She hadn't noticed until now, but her wine glass was nearly empty again. As had become instinct, she magically lifted the bottle and topped her own glass up, before doing the same for Trixie's.

Noticing the gesture, the showmare flashed a smile and raised the glass to her lips.

“So, is that enough of an answer to satisfy your inquisitive nature, Twilight Sparkle?” she asked. “Or do you have more questions about Trixie's past with Flaire?”

“Hey, it's not my fault that you have a complicated history!” Twilight threw back with a chuckle.

Trixie scoffed lightly. “As if yours is any simpler, Miss Librarian, Princess' Student, Element of Magic--”

“Okay, okay, so we're both complicated,” said Twilight with a roll of her eyes. “But still, you know what I mean. I was starting to think that there might be some deep, dark secret behind that nickname.”

Trixie raised a brow and smirked. “Such as?”

“Oh, I don't know. Maybe that the two of you are actually immortal unicorns who grew up together a thousand years ago, and the story you told me was just made up. Or maybe that Flaire is actually a parasitic lifeform that's been possessing ponies across the generations, since the dawn of time...”

Trixie let out a chortle. “I-I think somepony has had too much wine.”

Twilight threw her a mock glare. “I'll have you know that I can hold my liquor very well!” she said, taking another defiant sip of her drink. Then she hiccuped loudly, eliciting another giggle from Trixie.

“Y-you know, Twilight,” said the showmare. “Just because a lot of things in our lives are complicated doesn't mean that nothing can be simple. I mean, take the two of us, for example.”

Forgoing her glare in favour of an intrigued smile, Twilight shuffled further into the couch pillows and waited for her partner to continue.

“We met, you saved me, I ran off,” said Trixie coolly. “Then I came back, you gave me a place to stay, we became friends and now here we are. Simple!”

Twilight couldn't help but giggle at the self-assured smirk on Trixie's face. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Trixie, but it wasn't that simple at all.”

Trixie's smirk morphed into a lop-sided frown. There was a short, thoughtful pause before she spoke again. “Well, okay, maybe not--” She flashed Twilight a smile. “--But it's simple now, isn't it? We're Trixie and Twilight, and we're... er...”

She trailed off, obviously struggling to find the words. She screwed up her eyes in concentration, looking almost pained. Twilight decided to take mercy on her.

“A team,” Twilight said firmly.

“Yes!” said Trixie, smiling widely again. “We're a Great and Powerful team. And today, not only have we defeated a bloodthirsty, raging chimaera--” She levitated the wine bottle over to her glass and shook out the last few drops. “--But we have also vanquished an entire bottle of Manehattan's finest champagne. Hic!”

Trixie brought a hoof up to cover her mouth, and the bottle slipped from her grasp. Twilight magically caught it before it hit the ground, though it was hard to concentrate with the giggles bubbling up in her chest.

“W-well,” she said, setting the bottle down gently. “We certainly do work well together. I can't imagine going out there and doing all that with anypony else, especially not in front of all those people.”

Trixie smiled warmly. “Neither can I.”

For a long moment, they just smiled at one another, until Trixie cleared her throat and lifted her glass again. “Ahem, well... Trixie will drink to that,” she said, offering the glass to Twilight. “Trixie and Twilight – Equestria's Greatest, Powerfulest showmare team!”

'We're much more than that, Trixie...'

...The words died on Twilight's tongue, and the shock of the strange urge to say them gave her pause. The wine was clearly getting to her, if she was starting to make sense of this whole 'more than friends' thing. Though, it wasn't really making sense--

A hiccup brought her back to the present, where Trixie was waiting eagerly for her to accept the toast. Mentally shaking herself, Twilight lifted her glass again and clinked it against her partner's.

“Twilight and Trixie,” she said with a smile.

As the two of them rose the glasses to their lips, Twilight put the thoughts to the back of her mind – where they belonged – and enjoyed the sensation of the last of the wine draining from her glass.

* * *

Cuddliness. Warm, unequivocal cuddliness. Whatever it was upon which Twilight's head rested, it was the best pillow she'd ever had. Most of her body was still numb – probably from the wine – but she managed to crack a smile all the same. “Mmm. Good nap...”

There came a muffled grunt from beside her, and she felt the pillow shift a little. It wasn't exactly an uncomfortable sort of feeling, but it reminded her that she should probably check what time it was. So, slowly and slothfully, she craned open her eyes, and was met with the view of the darkened bedroom.

The fireflies in the lamps hadn't been roused, or even uncovered from the night before. The only light in the room was the pale moonlight creeping in through the gap in the balcony curtains, and it really wasn't very much.

Twilight tried to reach up and rub her eyes, but found that her hoof refused to move – it was stuck under something. That's when she noticed her pillow...

Craning her neck, she saw that Trixie was curled up on the couch beside her, with her chin resting gently upon Twilight's own back. The stuck hoof was trapped underneath Trixie's belly, which rose and fell softly with her breathing. She could actually feel the showmare's heartbeat.

Twilight's breath caught in her throat. She could remember closing her eyes for a second, and she could remember curling up on the couch, but... She and Trixie must've dozed off together.

Her heart started to thump faster, heat rose to her cheeks... she didn't understand. It was too warm. She suddenly needed air. Lots and lots of air.

Carefully as she dared, she extricated her hoof from beneath Trixie. She brushed the showmare's tail aside with her nose, trying desperately to ignore its wonderful softness. She set one of her back hooves down on the carpet and began sliding herself off of the couch, closing her eyes tight as she was careful not to jostle Trixie too much. She really didn't want to wake her.

When she'd finally gotten herself free, she held Trixie's chin with a hoof and lowered it gently down onto the couch pillows. The sleeping mare stirred, then shifted and buried her nose in her mane, grumbling something that sounded unnervingly like “Twilight...”

The lavender unicorn shook herself and took a few steps back. That she hadn't woken Trixie was a small comfort, and having some distance between them made it easier for her to think clearly. But she still felt a sense of anxiety, staring at the sleeping beauty on the couch.

She made for the balcony door, pulled aside the curtains and was outside before she even knew what she was doing. As she heard it click shut behind her and felt the cool breeze on her face, she let out a sigh of relief.

It was late – Manehattan was dark and a full moon hung in the cloudless sky. Twilight drew up to the railing and looked idly out over the dim light of the slumbering city, before turning to the horizon.

The shock began to fade away, little by little, as she took steady, soothing breaths through her nose. After a few, long moments, it had gone completely, leaving her with a calm, very much awake state of mind to look back on her little panic attack. She couldn't help but let out a little chuckle at herself. What a silly thing to panic over – it's not like she woke up having drooled over Trixie's coat or something.

The chuckle led into another quiet sigh. For all the time she'd spent with Trixie over the past... however long it was... it actually seemed to be getting harder to understand what was between them. Friends. Partners. A team...

She had friends. She'd had sleepovers with her friends, and woken up next to Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity at least once each. She'd never panicked, and she certainly never felt flushed – there was really no reason to.

She'd been part of a team with those same ponies, plus Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, but this was hardly like that at all. Teammates relied on one another, but that was about the only similarity she could make between the two relationships.

Granted, she'd never had a partner before, but being partners was pretty much the same as being teammates, wasn't it? The only difference was that it was just the two of them. The whole thing was a little more... intimate.

Her frown deepened. There was something more between her and Trixie. She could feign ignorance all she wanted, but it was becoming clearer every day.

First it was a smile, a few words and a satisfying warmth in her chest. Then it was a touch, here and there... a hug, and a closeness different than any she'd felt before. Glances, wistful gazes, long stares into one another's eyes. Those moments when she felt drawn towards Trixie, mind blank and throat dry.

She closed her eyes.

'I'm not a child. This should make sense. It does make sense, I know it does! But...'

In reality, there was only one thing that she thought it could be. But that had to be wrong. There must've been something she'd missed, something she'd overlooked in the stressful task of helping Trixie get back on her hooves. There had to be. Because, if there wasn't, that would mean...

Twilight opened her eyes and gazed out towards the moon. “...More than friends...”

It made sense... sort of. She had read about this before, but never in any textbook. It was all fairy tales, story books, make-believe... nothing worth paying much attention to, beyond enjoying the read. Or so she'd thought.

“Something on your mind, Twilight?”

Twilight started, but she didn't jump. She closed her eyes and let out a little breath of relief. “Princess, you startled me.”

“My apologies, dear. I always try to announce myself before I appear like this, but I tend to get that reaction quite a lot.”

'Oh, I wonder why...'

Twilight shook her head and looked up as Celestia joined her beside the railing. “Is everything alright, Princess?”

“Quite alright, yes,” Celestia confirmed with a smile. “I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, it seems that I'm making quite a habit of these late night visits. There is something... alluring about moonlit balconies, don't you agree?”

“Alluring?” Twilight repeated. “I... um, well, I suppose so?”

“That was a jest, Twilight,” said the Princess gently. “I was simply out for a flight, and happened to notice that my faithful student was looking a little lost--” She emoted a glance around the balcony. “Your partner is not with you?”

“No, she's sleeping,” said Twilight.

Celestia nodded sagely and turned her gaze to the horizon. “I am not surprised, after seeing that performance earlier. You both did wonderfully, if I may say so.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you.”

“So, why are you not with her?” the Princess asked. “Surely you are just as exhausted as she is, so I'm led to believe that there is something else keeping you awake.”

There was a short pause as Twilight mulled over her response. “I was. But I woke up and... started thinking.” She gulped on reflex and refocussed her eyes on the side of the Princess' head. “About her.”

“Is that so?” said Celestia coolly. She didn't so much as turn to oblige Twilight by meeting her eyes. “And these thoughts are bothering you?”

“No, not exactly,” said Twilight. “They're confusing, but not really bothersome.”

“Mm.”

Beyond the grunt, the Princess made no other comment or effort to press the matter, and a silence fell between them. Twilight wasn't sure whether or not she was grateful for that. It would've been a little embarrassing to talk to her mentor about a matter like this, but it might also have been enlightening.

They stayed in silence for a few moments more, before Celestia spoke up. “Have you any idea what she has planned for after the Display?” she asked.

Twilight threw her a questioning look. “I'm sorry?”

“Trixie,” Celestia explained. “From her demeanour, I judged that she is almost certain that she's going to win. So, I wonder, where does she plan to take herself after Manehattan?”

The question certainly took its time to sink in, and Twilight spent a good few seconds thinking about it before she was struck by a sudden realisation. The wind seemed to stop blowing. The eerie silence that followed brought with it a disturbing line of thought in the wake of Celestia's question.

“After...” Twilight breathed.

Now that she thought about it, the Display was the only reason that Trixie had come back to Ponyville in the first place. It was her reason for staying around long enough to become friends with Twilight.

...It was the only reason they were still together.

“Has she not mentioned anything to you?” Celestia asked.

Twilight slowly shook her head, the implications still setting in. What happened after the Display? When Trixie no longer needed her? She had no doubt that they would remain friends, of course. But still, Trixie was a travelling showmare – she... travelled. The Display, Ponyville, Twilight... they were all just another page in her story.

“Is something wrong, my faithful student?”

Twilight shook herself again and stared down at the railing, breath coming heavier than normal. She tried to steady it.

“I-I'm not sure,” she said. “She's been on the road most of her life, so after this...”

“...She'll probably continue her travels,” Celestia finished with a comprehending nod. “And you are afraid that you won't see her anymore.”

The words, spoken by Twilight's elder, wiser mentor, stung her deeply. They made sense. Why wouldn't they? They were true, after all.

Just as she was closing her eyes to try and make sense of what she was feeling, a warm, feathery white blanket draped over her back. She looked up to meet Celestia's smiling eyes.

“Do you worry that you will lose her as a friend?” the Princess asked. “That she will forget you when she leaves?”

“I-it's not that,” said Twilight. “I know we'll still be friends, but it's just that... I've gotten so used to her being around. I can't imagine what it would be like if she were suddenly just... not there anymore.”

The Princess closed her eyes and nodded. “I understand. And I am sure that she feels this way about you as well--” She gave Twilight a sympathetic look. “--But such is the life of a pony who lives for the road. She could no sooner abandon that life than you could leave behind your Ponyville friends to join her on her travels.”

Twilight understood the words, and she nodded along with them, though in the back of her mind she nurtured a secret thought. 'Could I do that?' she wondered. 'Could I leave behind Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash and everypony, if it meant that I could stay with Trixie?'

Logically, it was easy to answer. She couldn't just abandon her life and go off on some adventure, leaving behind everything she knew. She couldn't trade a life with all of her friends for a different life with a single one of them.

Not logically.

“Unless, of course, she had a reason powerful enough to forgo that life in favour of staying,” Celestia continued thoughtfully. “But I can scarcely imagine something that could convince her to do that. Can you?”

Twilight's mind was already working in overdrive, so much so that she was feeling the beginnings of a headache above her eye. But even so, she didn't want to stop.

This bond they shared... it was strong. Twilight knew that much for sure. But was it strong enough? Was being with Trixie more special than being with all of her friends? It was an impossible question...

“I... I don't know,” said Twilight, lowering her gaze to the ground in defeat. “It would have to be something very special.”

“Indeed,” said the Princess.

There seemed to be all too short a silence before Celestia sighed and lifted her wing from Twilight's back, leaving an uncomfortable chill in its place. Curious, the lavender mare threw her mentor a questioning look.

“You'll have to forgive me,” said Celestia, looking out over the city. “I believe I still owe you a cup of tea, but we shall have to cut this visit short once again. I've just spotted a pair of my guards on the prowl, no doubt trying to track me down.”

“...Track you down?”

“It can be... difficult, for a Princess to find some time to herself these days – with formality, tradition and such,” said Celestia. She gave Twilight a conspiratorial kind of smile. “Thus, I occasionally allow myself the little misdemeanour of... sneaking out.”

Twilight simply blinked, dumbstruck, as Celestia lifted up a hoof and pressed it against her own lips in a hushing gesture. When she lowered it, she let out a tinkling laugh before leaning down to cross necks with Twilight.

“I am sorry that I can't be of more help, my dear. Perhaps you should talk to Trixie about this? If she does feel the same way, the two of you may be able to work something out.”

At the touch and the reassuring words, Twilight managed a smile as she closed her eyes. “Thank you... I might just do that.”

Celestia held there for a moment longer before standing up and unfurling her wings. She flashed Twilight one final smile. “Farewell, Twilight. I shall try to stop invading your balconies, though I fear I may not be able to help myself.”

Twilight let out a giggle. “I don't mind. Good night, Princess.” She bowed her head, and in another moment the Princess was gone, leaving her alone again.

Staying out there on the balcony was certainly an option, but it suddenly didn't seem so appealing. In the Princess' wake, a blanket of drowsiness quickly began to drape over Twilight, and she brought a hoof up to her head on instinct.

'I need to rest,' she told herself. 'Clear my head, so I can focus tomorrow...'

The balcony door yielded to her gentle push, and she slipped inside without a sound. A glance over at the couch told that Trixie was still sleeping soundly, with her nose buried underneath one hoof whilst the other sprawled lazily out in front of her.

A thoughtful look spread onto Twilight's lips as her hooves led her over to the couch. As always, Trixie looked adorable when she was asleep – completely relaxed and serene. Even just standing there, watching her, Twilight's thoughts began to come more clearly.

'I want us to stay together,' she mused. 'But I care about my friends too. I don't know whether I could really leave them in Ponyville...'

She reached out and gently started to run a hoof through Trixie's mane. It was soft and sleek as ever, and the rhythmic brushing did wonders to soothe Twilight's nerves.

'But maybe I could...' She tilted her head and frowned thoughtfully at her sleeping partner. 'Have you thought about this, Trixie? Would you give up travelling if I asked you to stay with me? Would you let me leave everything behind and come with you?'

With a silent sigh, Twilight stopped brushing and climbed up onto the couch, laying down on her belly opposite Trixie. Following a gentle urge, she shifted her head over to press up against Trixie's outstretched fetlock, just firmly enough that she could feel its warmth against her cheek. All the while, she kept her thoughtful eyes on the showmare's half-covered face.

A reason powerful enough... that's what Celestia had said. Whatever they would decide when they finally got around to talking about it, they both needed that reason to stay together.

Twilight's reason was laying right in front of her. Did Trixie feel the same way?

'I'll give her a reason,' Twilight thought, as her eyelids started to droop. 'I'll show her that I can get her what she wants...'

'I'll win the Display. Whatever it takes.'

* * *

18 - Complications, Part One (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter eighteen: Complications, Part One

Twilight found it strangely easy to focus the following morning, for as long as she had something to keep her occupied at least. She and Trixie awoke together in smiling silence, neither of them sparing a word to spoil the moment of closeness that obviously meant as much to Trixie as it did to Twilight. It was a much preferable wake-up to the panic attack the night before – maybe it helped to have talked with the Princess, or perhaps it was just because of the soothing, sleepy smile that Trixie wore.

The silence drew out for most of the morning, but it didn't become uncomfortable at any point. They freshened themselves up, shared a few words over breakfast and, in what seemed like no time at all, they found themselves climbing up onto the royal chariot which awaited them outside the hotel.

It was only then, as the chariot took to the sky and Twilight was left with nothing to do besides sit and wait, that she began to feel uneasy. The thoughts from the night before began to resurface, and she found herself staring wistfully across at her partner.

She knew that it was far from the best time for this conversation, but that didn't change the fact that she really wanted to know what Trixie thought. Against her better judgement, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Hey, Trixie...”

The showmare gave her an attentive smile. “Mhm?”

Twilight hesitated and glanced down at the chariot floor. “...What do you think you'll do after the Display?” she asked, trying to make herself sound casual.

Trixie blinked. “Afterwards? I...” She trailed off and her smile quickly disappeared. “I... haven't really thought about it.”

“You haven't?”

Looking off to one side, Trixie adopted a thoughtful frown. “I'll probably stay in Manehattan for a while. Make the most of being here, I mean. There's a stable on the other side of town that I like...”

Twilight gulped consciously. “And... after that?” she said, finding it difficult to get the words out of her mouth. “I'm guessing you'll want to take your show back on the road.”

With a slow nod, Trixie lowered her gaze to the floor. “Probably... And I assume you'll want to go back and see your friends in Ponyville.”

Twilight hung her head with a solemn frown. “Yes...”

There was a long pause, during which the only sound was that of the wind gently brushing past their ears. That confirmed Twilight's worries, at least. Like her, Trixie hadn't even considered what would happen to them after the Display. Now, at least, they both realised the implications of no longer having a physical reason to stay together. Was that good thing? It certainly didn't feel like it.

“...So?” said Trixie gently. She was giving Twilight an expectant look. “And? But? What is it, Twilight?”

Hurriedly, the lavender unicorn shook her head and forced a smile. “N-nothing! Nothing at all. I just, um--” She averted her eyes, in favour of looking out over the edge of the chariot, feeling particularly cowardly. “W-we should focus. We'll be there soon,” she said, by way of deflecting the conversation.

Trixie offered no response. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could've sworn that she saw the showmare drop her gaze to the floor again.

'Oh, Trixie...'

As the chariot began its descent through the cloud layer, Twilight forced her mind back to the task at hoof. If the second event was anything like the first, it was going to take all of her concentration to win it. She could think about this later. That's what she told herself, at least, but putting it from her mind wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Almost as soon as the fog had cleared from around them and the city had once again become visible below, Twilight's eyes were drawn towards the stadium. On a reflex, she pushed herself upright and leant forwards, sure that her eyes must have been deceiving her. “...What is that?” she breathed.

What looked like some sort of giant, stonework pillar stood tall in the centre of the arena, where they had faced down the chimaera the day before. It was wide and perfectly circular, rising higher than the stands themselves. With no windows, portals, or anything standing atop it, its only obvious function was to stand there and look intimidating.

Trixie sidled over to stand beside Twilight. “Obviously it's the second event,” she mused. “They must've put it up overnight.”

“Put it up?” Twilight repeated. “How? That couldn't have possibly been built in one night, not even with magic.”

Trixie grunted. “I didn't say they built it. But since the stands are full, it's obviously supposed to be there.”

They drew nearer to the stadium, and sure enough, the ambient sound of hundreds of ponies' excited chattering filled the air. Just as the day before, the royal guards pulling the chariot took them in a spiral down towards the stands. Twilight kept her eyes locked on the pillar as they got closer, eager to take in as much detail as possible, in case this was indeed their next trial.

But there was very little to take in. Its base covered about half of the arena floor – so there was still a decently-sized ring of flat stone between the pillar itself and the stands. Around the edge, spiralling all the way up from the base of the pillar to its pinnacle, was a gradual ramp, presumably to allow ponies without wings to reach the top. For what purpose, Twilight could hardly guess.

Pegasi circled the gargantuan structure, all clothed in the red hats and scarves of Display hosts. Some of them were prodding at the pillar with their hooves, as if to check whether it was solid, and others seemed to be checking things off of notepads as they did.

Unlike the day before, there was no great increase in ruckus as the chariot touched down atop the wall overlooking the arena. As she and Trixie hopped down onto the stone, the image on the water screen across the way distorted to show them, but no announcement came with it. Feeling a little self-conscious, Twilight offered a smile and a wave in the camera's general direction, whilst the much cooler Trixie simply offered her trademark smirk and pretended to be adjusting her cape's neck clasp.

The chariot rattled off and took to the sky again, and in its wake, the small, red-uniformed mare from yesterday hurried over to guide them to their seats. But this time, instead of stopping at the box, she led them further, towards a set of stairs leading down into the stadium's interior.

“I'm to take you straight to the waiting room,” she explained. “Once everypony has arrived, somepony will come by to explain the event.”

Trixie grunted. “That's... efficient,” she muttered.

Twilight managed a little smile. “Somepony obviously heard your comment about musical chairs yesterday.”

Trixie gave a snort of a chuckle.

They were taken down to the same, medieval-looking waiting room as the day before. The mare left them at the door, so they let themselves inside as she headed back to wait for the next pair.

Trixie hesitated as soon as she got over the threshold, and Twilight didn't notice why until she drew up alongside. Already waiting inside were four of their competitors – Earth Twister, his brother, Desert Rose and Flaire. He was smiling at Trixie, but she was not smiling back.

A moment passed before the door clicking shut behind them shifted her into gear. She stepped forwards viciously, and Twilight hurried to follow her. As they passed Flaire, Trixie kept her eyes front, but Twilight couldn't help offering a sheepish grin as the stallion welcomed her with a warm smile. For all that Trixie painted him to be, he actually seemed kind of sweet... Either Twilight was missing something big, or Trixie was just really biased against him.

“Hey, what's up?” Earth Twister greeted as they took places against the wall beside him.

“Good morning,” said Twilight with a smile.

“Did you see that massive pillar out there?” Twister asked excitedly.

Trixie made a derisive noise. “No, we must've missed it...”

“Be nice, Trixie,” said Twilight, though the remark had brought a wide smile to her lips. “Yes, we saw the pillar. What do you think it's for?”

Twister shrugged. “Beats me. It's cool though, right? One of those red-uniformed girls told me that it came up from the ground. Oh man, I wish I could've seen it.”

“From the ground?” Twilight repeated. “How is that possible?”

“Apparently, it's part of the stadium – they were built at the same time,” said Twister sagely. “I guess whoever designed this place was a pretty forward-thinking bunch. They only bring it up when an event calls for it, so most years you don't even hear about it.”

“So, it's been raised in the past?” said Twilight, shooting Trixie a reprimanding look. “Sounds like something my research would've turned up.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “I told you – no two events have ever been the same. There are a hundred different things that pillar could be used for...”

Twilight opened her mouth the argue, but Trixie cut her off.

“And don't even think about mentioning process of elimination,” the showmare said firmly.

Twilight's mouth closed itself. Trixie gave a self-satisfied smirk.

The wait for the other competitors was short, but the wait for the whoever was supposed to come and meet them felt a lot longer. One of the downsides of arriving early, Twilight supposed.

When, at last, the door opened again, all eyes turned eagerly towards it. A small, spiky-haired stallion entered, with a one-sided saddlebag slung across his back. It took Twilight a moment to recognise him without his sunglasses, but it was, without a doubt, the same, energised stallion who had come up to her hotel room to present her with the entry forms.

“Alright guys, sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, trotting brazenly into the room and letting the door swing shut behind him. “If you'll all gather 'round, we'll get right to business.”

Everypony exchanged a glance with their partners before doing as they were asked. They formed a vague line in front of him, with Twilight and Trixie at one end and Flaire and Rose at the other.

The small stallion looked around at them all wordlessly for a moment. A smile tugged at his lips. “Wow...” he said. “Sorry, it's just so awesome to see you all standing there, like, waiting for me to... I mean, I met you all before but after seeing how you took on that chimaera, it's like... whew!”

Trixie cleared her throat loudly, and the stallion mercifully seemed to get the message.

“Okay, so here's the deal,” he said. “We're going to divide you all into pairs--”

Twilight started as Trixie suddenly pressed up against her, making it blindly obvious who she wanted to be paired with. The gesture brought a hint of red to Twilight's cheeks.

“...Rival pairs,” the stallion explained, shooting them a look.

From the other end of the line, Flaire cast a glance and an obvious smirk in Trixie's direction. Instead of sliding away in embarrassment, the showmare defiantly held her place against Twilight's coat.

“...And then, basically, the pairs will go out, one at a time, and take a place at the bottom of the ramp leading up the side of that big pillar out there. I'm guessing you all saw it on your way in. Yeah? Good. Okay, then all you've got is wait for the signal, then race up the ramp. First one to the top wins.”

An expectant silence fell over the room in the wake of the explanation. Twilight and Trixie glanced at each other awkwardly, wondering whether this was some kind of pause for effect.

“...That's it?” said Earth Twister, at last. “Just race to the top?”

“Yep,” the stallion confirmed. “There are thirty checkpoints leading up, and you've got to pass through every one of them before getting to the top, or else your win doesn't count. Oh, and don't fall off. I mean, there are protective spells and safety stallions in place – so don't worry about turning into a pancake or anything – but if you touch the arena floor after passing through the first checkpoint, you'll be disqualified.”

“Wait, back up a sec,” said Twister. “What's this got to do with magic?”

The stallion blinked at him for a moment, then his eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh, right. Well, there's a bunch of traps, pitfalls, magical enchantments and stuff laid all the way up to try and throw you off. The idea is to use your magic as creatively as possible to get through. Sorry, I thought that was a given.”

Twister grunted. “Huh. Fair enough. Doesn't really seem as exciting as a chimaera though.”

With a shrug, the stallion started rifling around in his saddlebag. “Eh, if you want to spice things up a little, you're free to use your magic against your opponent. Like I said, there are Safe-fall spells in place, so go nuts.”

Trixie stirred at Twilight's side. The azure unicorn was tense again, but it wasn't the same as it had been the day before. She didn't seem angry. In fact, as silly as it sounded, it felt more like she was anxious.

Twilight's subtle attempts to meet her eye were fruitless though, and since they were already pressed up against one another, there wasn't really anything else she could do to offer comfort. Nothing that wouldn't draw an uncomfortable eye from the others, at least.

“Aha!” said the small stallion, emerging from his saddlebag with a slip of paper in his mouth. He laid it on the floor and bent down to give it a look over, before drawing himself up again. “Okay, so listen up. Here's the list of pairings, in reverse order, 'cause that's always fun. First, we've got... Cherry Blossom against Trixie--”

Trixie seemed to shrink down a little, as if she'd just let out a breath. Twilight was half-expecting her to kick off and demand that she be paired against Flaire – considering how badly she wanted to show him up – or at least to complain about having to go last again. But... nothing.

“--Then it's Sandstorm against Violet, Desert Rose against Bay Dasher, and Earth Twister against Nightshade...”

A second passed before Twilight's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. The stallion looked across at her.

“...That leaves you and Flaire up first, Twilight Sparkle,” he finished. “That'll be one to watch.”

“What a lucky coincidence,” said Flaire, looking down the row. “I'd been hoping we might get a chance to test our magic against one another directly.”

Trixie scoffed loudly and threw him a dirty look. “Ha! You don't stand a chance against Twilight, Flaire. You'd be better off hoping that she goes easy on you.”

Twilight's mouth moved hopelessly as she glanced between Trixie and Flaire – who didn't seem fazed in the slightest. “I... Um...”

“Hey, save it for when you're in front of the audience, yeah?” said the small stallion, bending down to pick up his list. “I'm going to go check how things are doing. You guys wait here and... talk amongst yourselves or something.”

With that, he hurried past and trotted up the stairwell leading towards the arena. As his short, spiky tail disappeared from view, everypony split off from the line to talk with their partners.

Flaire held his eyes on Twilight, smiling that same, warm smile he'd been giving her since yesterday. She couldn't quite bring herself to offer more than a tiny, timid lip-twitch in response, but the gentleness of his gaze helped to make her a little less self-conscious about competing against him.

Trixie shoved her firmly to one side, breaking Flaire's eye contact. After shaking her head to clear it, Twilight looked up at the showmare, who had an unnervingly severe frown on her face.

“Trixie, I--” She stopped as soon as she started, not quite sure what to say. She knew that she was supposed to say something, but...

“He won't be easy to beat,” said Trixie seriously.

Twilight shifted her hooves. “...I know.”

“Don't get me wrong, your magic is in a completely different league to his. Like I said, he doesn't stand a chance against you in an all-out battle of strength--” Trixie turned to glare over at Flaire as he talked in a hushed voice to his partner. “--But you can bet that he won't play fair.”

That struck another chord in Twilight's mind, but she pursed her lips to keep from saying anything. It wasn't that she didn't trust Trixie, but her memories of Flaire were clearly a little outdated. Twilight knew that she'd have to take any tactical advice with a grain of salt.

“Just keep your guard up,” said Trixie, meeting her eyes again. “And don't let him fool you with his chivalrousness. He'll act like a gentlecolt until he sees his chance to win, then he'll leave you in the dust.”

“...Is that what he did to you?” Twilight found herself asking.

Trixie's expression wavered, and her gaze fell to one side. There was an uncomfortably long silence, and Twilight knew that she'd hit a nerve. She opened her mouth to apologise, but no words availed her.

“Just... keep your guard up,” Trixie muttered finally, looking up to meet Twilight's eye again. “And try to focus. We can't let ourselves think about anything other than winning right now.”

“R-right,” said Twilight, before she'd even really registered what had been said. She knew it was true, and she scolded herself for trying to take the conversation in a personal direction. But even so...

'She said we,' Twilight mused. 'She is thinking about us too. At least, I hope she is...'

“Hey!” came a yell from the stairs. All eyes turned to the small stallion, who had once again appeared. “Almost time, guys. The first pair are going to want to head up now. That's you, Flaire and Twilight--” He pointed to each of them in turn, pausing on Twilight and tilting his head. “--You definitely looked cuter with the bed-mane, by the way.”

A number of the others – Trixie included – raised an eyebrow at Twilight. In an attempt to laugh the comment off, the lavender unicorn managed only a nervous “Ahaha...” She kept her head low as she started forwards, until she felt their gazes soften as they brushed the comment off.

Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, she stopped to cast a look towards Trixie. A pair of supportive eyes stared back at her. The azure unicorn gave a tiny nod, though she didn't seem to be able to manage a smile. Unsurprising – she was probably peeved that Twilight was to be the one facing her rival. Or maybe she was just worried.

Settling for the nod and the stare, Twilight turned back towards the stairwell, only to find Flaire waiting for her at its base. He smiled and bowed his head slightly, gesturing for her to go first.

With an uncertain gulp, Twilight slipped past and started her ascent. Flaire followed without a word, and they made their silent way to the very top of the stairs, coming to a stop when they reached the portcullis leading out into the arena. The same stallion as before stood by the lever on the wall, flashing them a smile as they entered.

Twilight shuffled her hooves in anxiety as she stood before the gate, but it wasn't the sounds of the murmuring crowd drifting in from outside that did it. Nor was it the size of the massive pillar which dominated her view of the opposite arena wall.

She kept casting glances across at Flaire, trying to size him up without him noticing. He was wearing a confident smile, looking particularly calm where, in his place, Trixie had been visibly excited. That said, she could see the similarities between them – the way they stood, held their heads up... it made sense that they had the same origins.

Unfortunately, noticing that served only to make Twilight less confident, knowing that she was standing next to a professional. And without Trixie to back her up...

“Nervous?” said Flaire, catching one of her glances.

“N-no, of course not!” said Twilight immediately. Flaire stared at her for a moment, until she turned her eyes away. “...Maybe a little.”

Flaire gave a quiet chuckle. “I wouldn't worry, not after how well you did in your first performance. I daresay that Trixie might be right – I may not be much of a match against that magic of yours.”

Twilight flushed. “W-well, it all depends on what kind of trials we're up against...”

“True enough,” said Flaire, nodding. “In any case, I hope you won't go easy on me. I'm eager to see what you're capable of.”

“O-okay,” Twilight managed, flashing a quick smile before facing outwards again. It certainly was getting warm... she suddenly found herself very eager to get out into the nice, cool breeze.

Another minute or so passed before there came the sound of a horn blast from somewhere overhead. On cue, the red-uniformed stallion pulled his lever, and the portcullis began to rise.

“That horn is what we've all been waiting for, folks,” came the announcer's echoing voice. “It's my pleasure to present to you our first competing pair of the afternoon...”

Flaire didn't hesitate. He stepped forwards, out into the arena, with his calm smile perfectly intact. Twilight was quick to follow, though she deliberately kept a comfortable distance between them.

“As you've no doubt already noticed, we here at the Manehattan Display are fond of starting things with a bang. That's why, today, we're starting with two of the most potent competitors from our first event! Fillies and gentlecolts, please welcome Flaire and Twilight Sparkle!”

The announcement was met with applause and a great deal of cheering, and Twilight couldn't help but smile beside herself. She knew, of course, that she wasn't here for the praise, but it was a happy perk all the same. Not that she'd ever admit openly that she enjoyed all the attention.

As instructed, she and Flaire made their way to the bottom of the ramp and waited, neither of them setting hoof upon it. It was wide enough that six ponies might be able to squeeze on, side-by-side, and its slope was rather gradual, so keeping a grip wouldn't be something to worry about. Twilight also acknowledged that there was a wooden door at the base of the pillar, presumably leading to some kind of interior, which meant that it wasn't completely solid. That probably wasn't important, but she made sure to take note of it, just in case.

At her side, Flaire flicked back his mane. “Good luck, Twilight Sparkle,” he said, over the din of the stadium.

Twilight offered a smile and a nod. “You too.”

“Alright, everypony, settle down please! Competitors, stand ready – at the sound of the horn blast, you may begin. Best of luck to both of you!”

Flaire rolled his neck and lowered his head slightly, ready to dash. His face held a confident smirk, much like Trixie's, and his eyes were fixed on the ramp in front of him.

'Where mine should be,' Twilight reminded herself, with a shake of the head.

She lifted each of her hooves in turn and planted them firmly on the stone, narrowing her eyes at the path ahead. The cheering and muttering in the air died down until only a faint ambience remained. This was it...

'Don't let your guard down... Do whatever it takes... For Trixie.'

The focused silence drew out for what felt like forever, but Twilight's determination didn't waver. And then...

A horn blast rang out across the stadium.

Like a shot, the two of them broke into a sprinting start, hooves clopping loudly against the warmer stone of the ramp. Flaire pulled ahead almost immediately. His stronger legs carried him faster, giving him a distinct advantage.

The announcer yelled something about the stallion taking an early lead, but Twilight didn't let it dishearten her. She had a number of magic tricks up her proverbial sleeve that would get her ahead when she needed to.

The first checkpoint – a pair of red flagpoles – came up much more quickly than she'd expected. She passed through it barely a second after Flaire.

“And now the race begins, fillies and gentlecolts! From here on out, touching the arena floor will mean disqualification, and the heat is on for our competitors to look out for traps designed to throw them off. Whoa-- and it looks like Flaire has just tripped the first one!”

Up ahead, Flaire ground himself to a halt as a cloud of white seemed to explode in front of him with an ear-splitting hiss. Some kind of vent had opened on the side of the pillar, and steam was pouring out across the ramp, blocking the path.

Twilight quickly drew up alongside and came to a stop, casting her eyes about for some way past. The cloud of steam was completely opaque, so moving around inside it would be dangerous. Not to mention scalding hot. She didn't know any heatproof spells... maybe a shield would work...

Flaire had already figured it out – his horn lit up a deep magenta and he narrowed his eyes at the cloud. In another moment, Twilight's mane was blown back into her face by a sudden gust of air, as the stallion zipped forwards at lightning speed.

He cut a swath through the steam and left a path in his wake, through which Twilight could see him shaking the moisture from his mane on the other side. Steam was fast moving in to fill the gap, so Twilight had to shake off her surprise and act quickly.

She fixed her eyes on the spot where Flaire had stopped. Magic poured into her horn. She blinked.

When she opened her eyes, she was on the other side of the steam cloud, right behind Flaire, who had wasted little time in running onwards. Twilight was quick to give chase.

“And that's the first obstacle down in a flash!” said the announcer, as they passed the second checkpoint. “Excellent use of a Haste spell from Flaire, followed by Twilight Sparkle's signature teleport...”

The announcer continued to comment and compliment their different spells as they ascended the pillar. Twilight forced herself to stay focused on looking for traps and overtaking Flaire.

At the fourth checkpoint, Flaire triggered a magical glyph that was embedded in the ramp. There was a loud bang, and the stallion stopped in place as his hooves almost slipped out from under him. The entire section upon which he was standing had been covered in a thick layer of slippery grease, as Twilight found when she stepped upon it.

Luckily, she was far enough behind that she hadn't been caught in the middle, and she could see the other side well enough. Another teleport spell saw her overtake Flaire and dash onwards to the next checkpoint, whilst he carefully picked his way across the slick ground.

From there, it was anypony's game, as every other trap they ran into put the lead pony behind the other, only for the places to be switched back a few checkpoints later...

At the sixth checkpoint, a flock of bats burst out from a hole in the pillar, almost startling Twilight off the edge.

At the seventh, she nearly fell through a trick floor – she might well have done if she hadn't seen Flaire bound over it a second earlier.

At the ninth, Flaire was caught by another glyph which covered him in a sticky green goo, holding him in place. Twilight tripped it too, but she thought quickly and used a heat spell to disperse it. She took the lead.

And so it continued, all the way up the pillar. Traps got more and more frequent as they rose and the arena floor seemed to fall away beneath them. Twilight made sure to keep to the middle of the ramp wherever possible, so that she didn't get a chance to look down.

It was just after the twenty-third checkpoint that Twilight started to really feel the tension. Her legs were already quite achy from the climb thus far, but they were nearing the end, so she knew that she had to speed up soon, rather than slow down. Especially since Flaire had just taken the lead again.

A metal grate shot out in front of Flaire, literally barring his path. As he struggled to push it back into the pillar with telekinesis, Twilight took her chance and teleported past. Not exactly creative, but certainly effective – as the announcer commented. Creativity wasn't high on Twilight's to-do-list though. Just like Trixie had said, winning came first.

'Come on, twenty-five down, five to go!' she told herself. 'You can do this!'

“Gah!”

Twilight scrambled to a halt as a wall of blistering flames shot up in front of her, covering the entire path. She lifted a hoof to cover her face, shielding it from the light and the burning heat as she backed away.

Once the initial shock had passed, she cast her mind about for a way through. A shield spell wouldn't hold up against a fire that intense. She couldn't see the other side, so teleporting through would be too dangerous – she'd either end up inside the flames or off the edge of the ramp. A wind spell would only fan the flames...

'Argh! Come on, think!'

She heard hoofbeats behind her. Turning, she saw Flaire galloping up around the pillar. Her mind started working in overdrive. She couldn't let him take the lead, not now! But what could she do?

'Nothing' was the answer. She could do nothing but watch in horror as Flaire slowed down, smirked at the flames, then sped up again. He ran straight through without so much as lighting up his horn.

Twilight gawped as the fire dispersed in his wake, and an unscathed Flaire hurried onwards. Sparkling traces of magic faded away into the air...

A second passed in silence before Twilight figured it out. 'An illusion!' she cursed, sprinting after Flaire. 'Of course it was an illusion, how could I be so stupid?'

Knowing that she had to regain some ground, she lit up her horn and reached out to the wind, bending it so that a breeze blew at her back. It was a minor boost, but she needed everything she could get.

She passed checkpoints twenty-six and twenty-seven – dodging around a pressure pad and teleporting over another glyph along the way – before she finally caught sight of his tail again.

“They're so close to the end now!” the announcer yelled, excitement clear in his voice. “And Flaire has a huge lead. But it's not over yet!”

Twilight growled and worked her legs harder. 'No, it's not!'

She poured more magic into her horn, upping the intensity of the wind at her back.

Flaire's flanks came into view – Twilight was gaining ground. She kept her eyes locked on the spot just ahead of him, determined not to give up.

They passed the twenty-eighth checkpoint, and then...

It all happened within the space of a split-second. A deafening bang, a burst of compressed air, and Flaire was blown off of the ramp.

Twilight's eyes went wide, but she didn't have time to think before a vent appeared on the wall beside her as well.

Acting on primal instinct, she twisted her wind spell into a shield, streamlining her body just as another bang heralded the second burst of air. It caught her straight in the side, and she ground her hooves into the stone, fighting with all her might against the onslaught of force pushing her towards the edge.

Wind rushed past her ears. She could feel her back hoof slipping. She held her stance.

And then it was over.

Shaking with exertion, Twilight released her spell and collapsed to her knees, letting out a pained breath. Her head was spinning, her legs ached, she couldn't remember feeling so exhausted since the Ursa Minor incident.

Gentle, steady breaths sped her recovery, as did the voice nagging at the back of her mind, telling her to keep going. Listening the the voice, she craned open her eyes to find herself teetering on the very edge of the ramp, with one hindleg hanging off the edge. She hurriedly pulled herself upright, rubbed her head with a hoof and shook it, reminding herself not to look down.

She heard a loud grunt.

Just ahead, a pair of pale green hooves scrambled to keep their grip on the edge of the ramp. Twilight let out a gasp as she saw Flaire's snout drag its way up into view, whilst the rest of his body dangled helplessly below. His confident smile was gone, and now his teeth were gritted with effort as he struggled to pull himself up, to no avail.

Twilight rushed forwards to help, only to stop herself a few strides away. Whilst half of her mind yelled at her to pull him up, she found herself staring blankly.

'Whatever it takes...'

This was her chance. She could run on now, tackle the last two checkpoints and victory would be hers. There was no way Flaire could pull himself up in time to overtake her, if he even managed it at all. It wasn't like she'd be leaving him in real peril – there were spells in place to make sure he'd land safely.

As if to support her, Trixie's words rang in her mind. 'Don't let your guard down,' she'd said. 'He'll act like a gentlecolt until he sees his chance to win.'

It could be a trick. He was probably just waiting for her to get close to he could throw her off and take the victory for himself. Well, Twilight wasn't going to fall for it.

Decided, she turned her eyes on the path ahead and trotted onwards, past his scrambling hooves with her lips held in a determined line. She had to leave him – it was the only way that she could be sure to win. There was no other choice. Why then, did she feel as if she had a frog in her throat?

“Argh!” came Flaire's wrenching growl from behind her. By the sound of his scrambling, he was losing his grip.

Twilight's hooves stopped moving. Her gaze fell to the ground and a frown made its way onto her face. 'What am I doing?' she asked herself. 'I can't stop now, I'm so close to winning. But...'

She turned to Flaire. In his struggling, his eyes were clenched shut a lot of the time, but there was one moment in which she caught sight of those deep blues that seemed so eerily familiar. They were frustrated, determined, but most prominent of all was the hint of dread within them. They weren't asking for help, but they needed it.

'...I'm not that pony,' Twilight finished.

She spun her body around, strode right up to the edge and reached down to wrap a forehoof around Flaire's. Feeling the weight lifted off of him, Flaire looked up to meet her eyes. In the moment of staring silence that followed, Twilight offered a gentle smile. His gaze flicked confusedly between her eyes, as if he wasn't sure what to make of the gesture. But then, after a patient few seconds, he tightened his grip on her hoof and accepted her help.

With great effort, and a little magical assistance, she dragged him up onto the ramp again. She was aware of the noise the crowd was making now, but she didn't pay it any mind. When Flaire's four hooves once again rested on solid stone, he let out a relieved, chuckling sigh and took a moment to steady his breathing.

“Thank you,” he said.

Twilight nodded and batted her eyes in acceptance. “You're welcome.”

“Well, would you look at that!” came the announcer's voice. “Educated, well-read and considerate. What a good sport, fillies and gentlecolts!”

The crowd offered a cheer of approval, bringing a warm feeling over Twilight, much preferable to the cold sensation she felt when she considered leaving Flaire behind. The stallion himself seemed genuinely grateful, and he was clearly in no hurry to continue the race...

'Ah, the race!'

Remembering herself, Twilight hurriedly faced front and got ready to start running, but Flaire didn't take his advantage. Instead, he slowly did as Twilight and lowered himself into a ready position, as if waiting for a silent signal.

Twilight blinked at him in surprise, but quickly refocused by telling herself that there'd be time to figure things out later. She bent her back hooves, kicked off and broke into a brisk run. Flaire followed immediately after.

“And they're off again! We're coming up to the final stretch now, and what a touching way to start it off. This is what it's all about, folks – two honourable sportsponies competing for fame and glory, but never once forgetting-- Whoa, watch out!”

Twilight tripped a pressure pad and her section of ramp tipped to one side, throwing her off balance. She quickly teleported forwards and resumed her run, whilst Flaire carried himself over with a pair of powerful, magic-imbued bounds.

They passed the twenty-ninth checkpoint together, so high up now that Twilight could see over the top of the stands. She became doubly aware of the aching in her legs, but she forced herself to keep pace.

Slits opened up in the pillar wall just ahead, and there was a loud clunking noise as water started flowing out onto the ramp in droves. Much of it ran off the edge, but much more came straight towards the pair of unicorns. The knee-height wave of water – that was the pillar's final trap – would be upon them in seconds.

Thinking fast, Twilight mustered up a low-level water-walking spell and leapt up to literally run forwards across the wave. At her side, Flaire's horn lit up with a powerful light, which cut a narrow path through the water ahead of him – parting whatever liquid it touched to either side.

As they neared the source of the trap, Twilight put a small, localised shield up around the geysers – stopping the flow of the water for the second or so she and Flaire needed to get past. She stumbled as her hooves hit solid stone again, and released her spell as soon as she was past.

The sky overhead became visible as they came up to the final section of the ramp. Just one more circle around and the race would be over.

She and Flaire were still neck and neck – his pace had slowed a little, whilst hers had quickened. A quarter of the way around, Twilight pulled ahead. Another quarter, Flaire took the lead. Another and they were tied again.

The final checkpoint was in sight – two golden flags marking the very top of the pillar. Twilight focussed on the spot just before the finish line and channelled her magic, preparing for one last teleport.

Just as Twilight made to cast, she saw Flaire trip beside her and fall straight onto his knees. Excitement and adrenaline took over as she saw her chance and grasped it – throwing herself forwards and firing off the spell.

She practically soared over the finish line as she came out of the teleport, landing and skidding to a halt on the far edge of pillar's flat pinnacle, to an overwhelming roar of applause.

The announcer's voice tore across the stadium, barely audible above all the hollering. Admist the comments of “Incredible”, “Amazing” and “Unbelievable”, the words “Twilight Sparkle wins!” rang out the loudest.

Twilight's eyes roamed across the stands before her, taking in the hundreds of ponies looking up at her, stomping their hooves and shouting in awe and approval. Exhausted as she was, she couldn't help but let out a relieved and joyful chuckle as she felt the elation welling up inside her.

'What would Trixie do now?' she asked herself in excitement. 'Besides turn her nose up and smirk...'

A playful little urge took hold, and she performed her best impression of Trixie's mane flick, whilst raising a hoof to wave to her crowd. They seemed to like that – among the cheers, it actually inspired a number of whistles too. Twilight couldn't remember ever being so proud to be up in front of so many ponies... except maybe at her graduation from school, since her family were there to see her.

Hoofsteps told of Flaire's approach from behind her. She turned her head – expecting to see a dejected or grumpy stallion looking back at her – only to find that he was smiling. He didn't say anything, he simply sidled up alongside and bowed deeply before her, showing his recognition in front of the audience.

A suspicious, nagging thought tugged at the back of Twilight's mind as she looked down at him, and her lips curled into a thoughtful frown.

He seemed to pay it no mind as he opened his eyes, flashed her one last smile and then turned to wave at the crowd. Despite his loss, they seemed to appreciate his efforts, and continued to cheer loudly. Not that Twilight could really tell which one of them was being cheered for, but she liked to think that she heard a couple of “Yay, Flaire!”'s in there.

“Yes, yes, congratulations to Twilight Sparkle for her victory, and to Flaire as well, for his valiant effort. Thank you both for a fantastic show!”

A loud thud drew both unicorns' eyes to the centre of the platform, where a clean circle of the stone floor had shifted down about a hoof's distance below the rest. It slid to one side, leaving a dark hole leading to the pillar's interior. Twilight and Flaire exchanged a questioning glance.

A moment later, another platform, slightly smaller, rose from within to fill the gap. Atop it stood a red-scarved pegasus mare, who smiled warmly at them. “Congratulations!” she said.

Twilight opened her mouth... and promptly closed it again, not sure how to react to the mare's sudden appearance.

As if sensing Twilight's confusion, the mare gestured to the platform beneath her and explained. “We need to clear the pillar for the next pair, so if you'll please step onto the lift, it'll take you down to a waiting room.”

“Oh!” said Twilight, shaking herself. “Right. Of course.”

Flaire gave an unsubtle chuckle at her side, which Twilight did her best to ignore as she stepped up onto the 'lift'. Flaire joined her, and the pegasus mare stepped off, unfurling her wings and nodding to each of them.

“Thank you! Please keep your hooves on the platform at all times. Enjoy the ride!”

Twilight cocked her head and managed a little, questioning smile as the lift started its slow descent...

* * *

19 - Complications, Part Two (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter nineteen: Complications, Part Two

Twilight was pleasantly surprised to see that the whole place was well-lit by the hundreds of bright candles adorning the great, circular walls that surrounded them. The mechanism driving the lift brought it close to the wall and guided it down in a spiral around the edge of the gargantuan chamber, towards the distant floor below.

It was a slow, steady ride, and Twilight didn't really care to look over the edge, knowing how high up they still were. So, besides staring blankly ahead, she found little to occupy herself other than the stallion standing next to her...

She glanced over at him. He looked attentively back. There was a pregnant pause.

“...You tripped on purpose, didn't you?” said Twilight.

Flaire was silent for a long moment, as if giving her a chance to think about it. When the moment passed, his lips curled into a wise smile. “If I did, it was only because you deserved the victory,” he said quietly.

Twilight's ears drooped a little. “Oh...”

“Don't delude yourself into thinking I let you win,” Flaire continued. “From the moment I fell off of that ramp, you were the clear victor. I don't know whether I would've fallen or not, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway, with all the time I lost. If you hadn't stopped to help me up...”

“Yeah, I guess,” muttered Twilight, though her frown didn't leave her.

“Speaking of which, I wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you did stop,” Flaire continued. “Losing like that would've been terribly embarrassing. Thanks to you, I got a chance to finish gracefully, at least.”

Twilight shook her head dismissively, but she couldn't stop a tiny smile. “You're welcome. But really, I couldn't just leave you there. I'd feel terrible if I did.”

“Not everypony can boast that,” said Flaire. He grunted and smirked in thought for a moment. “Hmm, I wonder if Trixie would've done the same in your place.”

“I doubt it,” said Twilight brightly. “But I'm not Trixie.”

Flaire nodded, still smirking to himself. “No, you're not...”

Another expectant silence fell between them, as if the mention of Trixie's name was doomed to prompt some kind of question from Twilight. She was reminded of the talk they'd had the other day, when the showmare had told the story of her past with Flaire. She was also reminded of the feeling that Trixie was holding something back from her – hiding some piece of the puzzle.

It probably wasn't important, if it was even anything at all, but curiosity got the best of the lavender unicorn in that moment. She turned to regard the stallion with questioning eyes.

“Flaire,” she said. “What happened between you and Trixie? To make her, you know...”

“Hate me?” Flaire finished for her. “Your guess is as good as mine. We didn't part on the best of terms, but it was nothing like this.” He let out a deliberately loud breath. “It has been years though, and I suppose time has a habit of warping the way we view our memories, for better or worse.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “For the worse, in Trixie's case. I think I know the feeling.”

Flaire raised an eyebrow. “Really? Well, she seems to have warmed up to you, at least. Mind letting me in on your secret?”

“There's no secret,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “It was really just a matter of time, I guess. We just-- I don't know... It just happened, as we spent more time together. Not that she made it easy for me.”

A gentle laugh escaped Flaire. “Yes, I can believe that. She's always been very strong-willed...”

Twilight smiled and nodded as some of the memories started to come back to her. The 'talk' she'd had with Trixie in the hospital tent, the dumbstruck look on the showmare's face when Twilight returned her cape, her reluctance to let Twilight help with her therapy... But for all the trouble she'd been given since Trixie came back to Ponyville, Twilight knew that she'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Flaire thoughtfully. “I wonder if you might be able to help me with something.”

“Mm?” Twilight grunted, turning to give him an intent smile.

Flaire himself wasn't looking back at her, but staring out over the edge of the lift. “You must understand,” he began. “Despite our rivalry, Trixie and I have always been close. I do still care about her dearly.”

“O-oh, is that so?” said Twilight, her smile unconsciously falling.

“It seems like everything I say serves only to annoy her,” Flaire continued. “It would mean a great deal to me to regain her trust and companionship. But I fear that she may be too blinded by her bias to give me the chance.”

Twilight gulped as he turned to give her a meaningful look.

“S-so, you want me to help you-- Oh, that's, um-- I'm not sure...”

“Don't feel obligated,” said Flaire coolly. “You owe me nothing. If you are happy to help, then I will be incredibly grateful, and in your debt. If not, then no matter – I will find another way to regain my sister's trust. In either case--”

“Wait,” said Twilight, finding herself refocused in an instant.

Flaire shut his mouth and raised his eyebrows.

Twilight gave a quick head shake by way of apology. “Sorry, but did you say 'sister'?”

“I did,” said Flaire. “You sound surprised--” He paused for a moment, to give her a searching look. Then he made a comprehending sort of noise. “Ah, I see. Trixie 'forgot to mention' that we were siblings?”

“What?! Trixie is your sister?” Twilight almost shouted. “But you-- That's not-- I thought--” She stammered wordlessly as her mind worked in overdrive. After a moment, her eyes widened in realisation. “Oh my! She's your sister!”

Flaire chuckled. “It's not that surprising, is it? Can't you see the resemblance?”

Twilight chanced a quick look over him. His coat's intensity always had reminded her of Trixie's, only it was green instead of blue. And now that she thought about it, behind the striking power of Flaire's eyes was a vague sort of familiarity...

She shook her head. “Well, now that you mention it... But it's still a shock – I mean, from the way Trixie talked about you, I always assumed that the two of you were--” She hesitated with her mouth part open, and took a moment to think about it. Growing up together, sharing dreams, the closeness, the rivalry... It made sense.

“But I don't understand,” said Twilight. “Why wouldn't Trixie tell me?”

Flaire shrugged. “If she truly hates me as much as she seems to, then she's probably ashamed. Or embarrassed.”

Twilight stayed silent. It all fitted, didn't it? She'd always tried not to think too hard about Trixie and Flaire's relationship – it was in the past, after all – but hearing that they were 'close' had always made her feel kind of funny. She'd never even considered that it could be the 'brother and sister' kind of close...

The thought brought a tiny, impulsive smile to her lips, which confused her far less than it probably should have.

“Does that make a difference to your decision then?” said Flaire, breaking the silence. “That we're siblings? Will you help me?”

Twilight looked over at him, taken away from her reverie. He wasn't smirking, nor smiling. He actually looked quite genuine. If all he wanted to do was make amends with Trixie – his sister – then surely there was no harm in helping him? Trixie might even appreciate it in the long run...

“I'll... think about it,” said Twilight, with a decided smile.

Flaire nodded. “That's all I ask. Thank you.”

The lift touched down at last, and Twilight was all too happy to step down onto the solid stone floor again. The chamber in which they found themselves reminded her very much of the other waiting room in its medieval atmosphere – with the impressively powerful magical candles casting a dim, rustic light all around. It felt a lot larger though, especially since the ceiling stretched all the way up to the very top of the pillar.

In the centre of the room was a long table, adorned with a veritable feast of food and drink – fruits, salads, pies, several different types of bread... Twilight wasn't particularly hungry, but just the sight of so much delicious food was enough to convince her to help herself anyway.

Behind them, the lift jerked upwards and started spiralling back up towards the roof, probably so that it was ready to bring down the next pair. Twilight spared it a brief glance before turning her eyes back to the table. She approached it and walked down its length, idly taking in the details.

“Impressive,” Flaire commented, following her. “I suppose we're in for a long wait, if they went to all this trouble.”

Twilight offered a grunt and a nod. “I think I'd rather be out in the stands though,” she said. “Watching the others, I mean.”

“As would I,” said Flaire. “But I suppose it would be rather awkward for them to get us down from the pillar, across the arena and up to our box before the next pair could begin.”

“I suppose so,” Twilight granted, coming to a stop next to a large salad bowl.

Flaire walked right around to the other side and took the place opposite her, magically pulling a bowl of grapes over to himself and flashing Twilight a smile.

The two of them fell into a silence – not quite uncomfortable, but not quite comfortable either. Twilight couldn't really think of anything she wanted to say – besides some comments about the weather which she opted to keep to herself – so she settled for picking at her salad, and idly wondering what to make of the looks Flaire kept throwing her...

* * *

From there, there was little to do other than wait. It wasn't all that long before the lift came down again, carrying Earth Twister and Nightshade with it. The atmosphere in the room certainly livened up once the victorious Earth Twister got to talking about 'how awesome that event was', and describing the whole thing in remarkably unnecessary detail, whilst stuffing himself with as much food as he could get his hooves on.

Desert Rose and Bay Dasher arrived next, the former taking a seat beside Flaire whilst the latter found his place next to Nightshade. When asked who had won, Bay Dasher nodded at Rose, but said nothing. Twilight thought that he might've been upset, but promptly changed her mind when she saw the frown he always seemed to wear morph into a smile as he pulled three separate bowls of food towards him.

The fourth pair to arrive was Sandstorm and Violet, each of whom took seats by their respective partners. Sandstorm and Twister quickly became engulfed in their own conversation, and they naturally sounded very pleased that they had both emerged victorious from their challenges.

At this point, Twilight's mind was focused heavily on Trixie. She'd been thinking about her ever since Twister and Nightshade had arrived, but now those thoughts were prominent. After Twister's story, she found herself very eager to see how Trixie would handle the pillar climb, and disappointed that she wouldn't get the chance.

An idea sprang to mind just as she was pouring herself a glass of water. She stared at the liquid in her cup for a moment, letting the thought take shape, before lighting up her horn and reaching for the water jug.

She lifted the water itself out into the air, where it formed a swirling sphere. Seven pairs of eyes turned to watch with interest, but Twilight didn't pay them any mind. She pictured one of the giant water screens outside, and the unicorns who channelled it, trying to mimic the spell as best she could.

The water bent into a flat rectangle shape quickly enough, but the important part of the spell was not so easy. She tried to imagine a birdseye view of the stadium, but all that appeared on the screen were a few coloured lights. She knew that there were magical cameras recording images for the screens, but she wasn't sure how to locate and lock onto them, without anything to go by.

After a moment of struggling and shifting her magic, Flaire spoke up.

“May I?” he said simply.

Twilight blinked dumbly at him. “...Um, sure.”

The blue-eyed stallion smiled and lit up his horn, reaching out to cross his magic with Twilight's. Their auras touched, and Twilight had to stifle a sharp breath as an electric tingle ran through her horn. He didn't try to wrench the spell from her, it was more like he was gently guiding her magic along with his – as if holding her hoof and showing her through the motions. He ushered her focus outwards, and helped her to make sense of the presences she felt.

There were several cameras, at different angles around the stadium. Apparently they were easy to find after all, if one knew how to look. She reached out and touched one of those that were moving, and immediately an image began to take shape on the screen before her.

“Whoa! Way to go, you two!” Twister commented through a mouthful of apple pie. “Why didn't you do that before?”

“I... didn't think to,” Twilight muttered distractedly, looking past the screen at Flaire, who was giving her that look again.

'What's he staring at?' she wondered. 'And why hasn't he let go? The spell is stable...'

As if sensing her thoughts, Flaire softly released his magical grasp, and the glow from his horn faded away. For a split-second, Twilight regretted the thought, since she was overcome by a brief but definite sense of cold and aloneness. It was only a split second though, and she felt rather silly as soon as it had passed.

She shook herself.

The image on the screen zoomed in on a pair of unicorns dashing up the ramp, and Twilight quickly turned it so that everypony could see. The two competitors were only about a quarter of the way up, so Twilight hadn't missed too much.

Her heart gave a jump as she saw that Trixie was in the lead, though Cherry Blossom was following close behind. There was no sound, of course, but Twilight could imagine the cheers and shouts of the crowd – punctuated by the announcer's voice over – as the two of them galloped up the pillar and magicked their way past obstacles.

Some of the traps they faced were completely different to those that Twilight and Flaire had to go through, and Twilight started or gasped every time Trixie tripped one. True to form though, the showmare made quite a fantastic performance of getting through each one just by the skin of her teeth.

A massive cloud of midges ambushed her about a third of the way up, throwing her off balance. She startled them back with a flash of light, then sent out a whirl of fireworks to disperse the swarm...

A few checkpoints later, her section of the ramp tipped to one side, sending her sliding towards the edge, as it had done with Twilight. Thinking fast, the showmare summoned up a rope and magicked it towards the pillar – wrapping it around a light fixture and using it to pull herself up...

Twilight found herself very tense as she watched, silently willing her partner onwards and upwards. 'Come on, Trixie. You can do it!' She knew it was silly, but part of her hoped that her thoughts would somehow reach the azure mare and spur her on.

With all her attention focused on Trixie, Twilight didn't spare so much as a glance for her opponent, nor an ear for Earth Twister's running commentary. They weren't important anyway.

Trixie passed the twentieth checkpoint with a few seconds' lead on Cherry. Things were looking good. At least until she ran into the next trap...

Some kind of stretching crevice opened up on the wall just ahead of Trixie, but she didn't see it in time to react. She was caught right in the middle of the wave of water that burst forth from the gap – much like the final trap that Twilight and Flaire had faced, except that its current flowed straight over the edge of the ramp, rather than running down it.

Trixie staggered and barely managed to regain her balance under the force of the water that ran higher than her knees. Even then, she seemed to be struggling just to keep from being taken by the current.

Twilight's whole body seemed to tense up in anxiety as she leant closer to the screen. “Come on, Trixie,” she muttered under her breath. If she were in that position, she would use a water parting spell, like Flaire's. But Trixie probably didn't even know that spell. There had to be something else she could try.

'Just hold on,' Twilight willed her. 'You'll think of something.'

Trixie's horn lit up at last, but nothing seemed to happen. Her rear hoof slipped. She stumbled backwards, but managed to catch herself about a hoof's distance from the edge.

The camera zoomed in as she barred her teeth and focused her magic again, this time sending out a purple glow over the water surrounding her. It was hard to say for sure, but from what Twilight could tell, it seemed that Trixie's spell had slowed down the current of the water...

With obvious effort, the showmare managed a step forward. Then another.

Twilight's lips curled into a grin as her partner seemed to be making progress. But it was short-lived...

A second crevice opened up above the first, and more water spilled from it, sending a tidal wave towards Trixie. She was quick enough to reach out with a telekinesis spell to stop it, but the strain it took was obvious in her stance. The threatening wave grew larger and larger, and her attempts to hold it back were ultimately in vain.

Her spell failed, her hooves slipped, and the wave came crashing into her.

Trixie was thrown from the pillar.

“No!” Twilight cried, leaning forwards so viciously that she bumped her chest on the table. Her first instinct was to teleport out there and catch her, but the spell was only half-way cast when Trixie's fall began to slow down.

Twilight stayed her magic and watched with wide eyes as Trixie started to float steadily down towards the arena floor, curled up with her legs hugging her body and her eyes scrunched up tight. Since her horn wasn't glowing, this had to be one of the arena's safety spells. Twilight let out a muted breath of relief.

As Trixie neared the ground, her body twisted in midair so that she could land on all four hooves. She touched down, and a moment passed before she opened her eyes and glanced around slowly, looking bemused.

The image slowly faded out into nothingness, leaving a blank screen of water hovering in midair above the refreshment table. Obviously, this confirmed that Trixie was out of the running... The screens outside would probably switch now, to showing Cherry Blossom from another camera's perspective, but Twilight wasn't particularly interested in watching her. And nor, apparently, were the others – since they made no objection when she let the water drop back into the jug.

A strange sort of silence hung in the air. Twilight glanced around at the others. Earth Twister and Sandstorm had their lips pursed and were purposefully keeping their eyes locked on the table. Violet was hiding behind Bay Dasher and Nightshade, who were still eating, as if they hadn't even been watching. Desert Rose had her eyes closed and was cuddling up to Flaire, who was the only one that offered Twilight a sympathetic smile.

Twilight herself wasn't sure what to think. Trixie had lost... she couldn't imagine how the showmare would be feeling right now. And to lose like that – not even having a chance to finish the race – must have made it even worse.

'What do I say to her?' Twilight wondered, staring into her salad bowl. 'I could tell her that it doesn't matter, since I won against Flaire, and that should still leave us ahead statistically. That'll help, right?'

There came a distant thudding sound from overhead, signalling the start of the lift's descent – presumably meaning that Cherry Blossom had finished the race and was on her way down. But where was Trixie?

The door in the far wall opened up with a loud creak. All eyes turned to look down the table towards it.

Over the threshold strode the azure unicorn herself, with her head held low and her damp cape trailing behind. Twilight instinctively bounded over to her.

“Trixie! There you are, I--” She broke off and slowed down as she got nearer to Trixie, only just taking in the details.

The showmare was looking decidedly less than Great and Powerful with her untidy hairdo and ruffled coat. Faint wisps of steam still rose from her back, a telltale of a heat spell which she must have used to dry herself. And, most prominently of all, she did not look happy.

“...Are you alright?” Twilight asked, biting her lip as she waited for the answer.

Trixie glared at the ground to Twilight's side. “What do you think?”

Frowning at the response, Twilight lowered her head and tried to meet Trixie's eye with a sympathetic look. “Oh, Trixie, it's not your fault. That could've happened to anypony.”

“Really? Did anypony else fall off the pillar?” Trixie grumbled.

Twilight pursed her lips.

“...That's what I thought,” said Trixie, her shadowy glare deepening.

“But it's not your fault!” Twilight repeated. “Really, it was just bad luck. I thought you were amazing.”

There was a short pause before Trixie chanced a look up at her. “...You saw me?”

“We had a screen,” Twilight explained. “So, yes – I saw the whole thing. And you really did look brilliant.”

Trixie grunted. “I still lost...” She glanced over towards the table, then back at Twilight. “What about you? Did you beat him?”

“...Yes,” said Twilight timidly.

Another pause, though this one felt eerily long. Twilight wondered whether that was the wrong answer, despite her best guess being that Trixie would be happy to hear that Flaire lost. Maybe she would have preferred it if she and Twilight had both lost together?

At long last, Trixie blinked. “Well... good, I guess,” she muttered emotionlessly, before turning her eyes to the table. “...I'm going to get some pie.”

With that, she ambled past and headed for the table. Twilight opened her mouth, but ended up simply watching as Trixie fixed each of the others with a firm glare, until they were forced to avert their eyes. Flaire was the only one she couldn't scare off, so his mercifully subdued smirk followed her all the way to her place, not far from where Twilight had been sitting.

'She doesn't seem that upset,' Twilight mused optimistically, as Trixie pulled a plate of apple pie towards her. 'Maybe I should let her have her pie for now, and cheer her up later...'

Across the room, the lift touched down and Cherry Blossom hopped from the platform. Like her partner, she stayed silent, but she did flash a wide, shining smile as she skipped over to take a place beside him.

Twilight had been expecting Trixie to throw the new arrival a very dirty look, or at least a glare to match that which she'd given the others, but she did no such thing. She just levitated a slice of pie to her lips and took a generous bite.

Just as Twilight made to join her, the door opened again, this time with such force that it actually slammed into the wall. The small, spiky-haired stallion from before trotted inside with a wide grin on his face.

“Oh, my, Celestia! That was so awesome, I don't even know where to start!” he said excitedly. “Seriously, best performance I've seen since that chimaera thing. You all did awesomely-- Oh, and, uh... tough break, Trixie.” He gave the showmare a sympathetic look.

She snarled at him.

“So, anyways!” he continued. “Let's get right down to business this time. I mean, I could talk to you guys for hours if I didn't have a job to do and-- Oh right. Okay, so the next event's gonna be a bit different – and you've all got the whole day tomorrow to prepare for it.”

Twilight raised her eyebrows in interest, and a couple of the others muttered to one another.

“I've got a letter here for each pair, with details on the next event--” He reached into his saddlebag, pulled out five envelopes and tossed them onto the end of the table. “Make sure you read them ASAP, so you give yourselves enough time to prepare. Well, I mean, you don't have to prepare. You could always just chill out if you're confident enough.”

“Is there some reason that you can't just tell us what the event is, like before?” said Trixie.

“Nopony told me what it is,” said the stallion, with a shrug. “Apparently, it's on a need-to-know basis, and I don't need to know. I guess they think I'm just a glorified messenger. Which I am, kind of. But hey, I'm not complaining!”

Trixie rolled her eyes and took another bite of her pie.

“Anyway, once you've got your letters, you can all feel free to leave whenever you want,” he said, looking around at them all. “They've opened up a tunnel in the arena wall, so you can just walk straight out. There's chariots outside to take you wherever you want to go. Or you can walk, it's a nice enough day.”

At that, Violet and Nightshade grabbed their letter and started towards the exit, obviously eager to get outside. Flaire and Rose looked at one another, then steadily made to follow them.

Twilight looked over at her partner. The azure unicorn was still only half way through her slice of pie, and Twilight didn't like to interrupt her. There was really no need to rush anyway.

Having already eaten much of a bowl of salad herself, Twilight trotted down the length of the table to collect her letter, finding herself quite curious as to what the next event would entail.

Flaire was there, whispering something to Rose as he passed her the letter. When he'd finished, she nodded, gave his neck a quick nuzzle, then turned to trot towards the exit. Flaire himself didn't move, he simply flashed a smile in Twilight's direction.

The lavender mare gulped unconsciously before returning it.

“Kind of cloak and dagger, huh?” she joked timidly.

“Indeed,” he grunted.

Twilight gave a short chuckle, raised her eyebrows and magically grasped the envelope addressed to herself and Trixie. It wasn't very weighty, only a single piece of paper, if Twilight knew her writing materials. And Twilight knew her writing materials.

“Twilight, I wonder,” he began in a hushed voice. “That thing we talked about...”

“Huh?”

Flaire subtly nodded in Trixie's direction.

“O-oh,” said Twilight. “Right now? But... I don't know, she's not in a very good mood.”

“Hmm, I suppose,” Flaire granted. “We aren't exactly going to have many more opportunities though. After the Display, I'm sure she'll be out of Manehattan like a flash to get away from me.”

“I... guess that's true,” said Twilight, biting her lip in consideration.

“What do you want, Flaire?” came Trixie's voice from behind.

Twilight gave a start and turned her head to watch Trixie draw up alongside, still wiping pie crust from her lips with a napkin. After a moment's pause, she lowered it to reveal a smirk.

“Still can't accept that my partner beat you?” she teased.

“On the contrary,” said Flaire, casting a quick look at Twilight. “I was actually just trying to renegotiate my offer with Twilight.”

Trixie blinked, then creased a brow suspiciously. “What offer?”

“Well, since you already have plans for lunch 'forever', I thought that I might ask you both to join Rose and I for dinner instead,” he said slyly.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Don't you ever give up?”

Twilight caught another subtle glance from Flaire. She curled her lip in thought for a second. There was no harm in trying, right?

“Um, actually, I thought it sounded like quite a good idea,” Twilight said, offering Trixie a smile.

A dark, awkward silence fell over the three of them as the words were processed.

Trixie threw her a look of utter disbelief. “What?”

“Well, you said you haven't seen each other in a long time. Don't you think it might be worth taking some time to catch up?” said Twilight. Flaire offered her an appreciative smile, spurring her on. “I mean, you might not get to see each other for a long time after this--”

“No,” said Trixie bluntly. Her eyes weren't quite glaring, but they were certainly not pleased.

Twilight managed only a faint smile. “Okay. You don't have to if you don't want to. I was just trying to--”

“I said forget it!” Trixie broke in, taking Twilight by surprise. Now she was glaring. “If you want to cuddle up to the enemy, that's fine – it's your decision. But don't drag me into it!”

Twilight's mouth fell open a smidge as Trixie blew an angry puff of air through her nose.

“I--”

“I'm going back to the hotel,” Trixie declared, spinning in place and stomping off towards the door. She left a deadly, stunned silence in her wake.

Twilight stammered wordlessly, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Trixie hadn't yelled at her like that since the first time she'd returned to Ponyville. It was different this time though. Twilight was stunned – not with shock, or with fear, per se. It was more like dread... panic.

Shaking herself, Twilight looked to Flaire, who looked as if he wasn't sure how to feel.

“I-I'm sorry!” she stammered out, before turning to dash after her partner. “Trixie, wait!”

* * *

20 - What She Sees (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty: What She Sees

'If you want to cuddle up to the enemy, that's fine... But don't drag me into it!'

Trixie stomped down the street with a vicious determination to ignore any and all questioning looks thrown her way. She'd passed the chariots waiting outside the stadium without so much as a sidewards glance at the Royal Guards. She wasn't interested in a comfy ride back to the hotel, she'd much rather walk.

“Trixie, please wait!”

The showmare's stride faltered a little, but she quickly composed herself.

'You're mad at her, remember?' she told herself. 'You thought she was smart enough to avoid falling into his trap, but apparently you were wrong. It's as much her fault as it is his.'

The thoughts were a little hard to swallow, and maybe they were born mostly out of the heat of the moment. But still, even if Flaire was deserving of most of the blame, Twilight wasn't completely innocent.

“Trixie!”

Twilight galloped up alongside and fell into step, having to trot to keep pace. She cast Trixie a worried look. “Trixie, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you--”

“It's fine, Twilight,” Trixie spat, not looking at her. “I'm a big mare. If you want to spend time with him then be my guest.”

“But I don't!” said Twilight. “That's not what I want at all. I was only trying to help you two make up.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, I wasn't born yesterday. He's obviously got you under his spell.”

Twilight slowed down a little, obviously caught off guard. “W-what? What are you talking about?” she said, hurrying to catch up again.

“As if you don't know,” Trixie threw back, along with a scolding look. “You said yourself that you find him charming.”

“I-I never said that!” Twilight retorted. Despite her words, there was a noticeable flush on her cheeks, and Trixie wasn't convinced in the slightest.

She turned her eyes back to the path ahead and huffed. “It's not really your fault. He does it to everypony...”

“Trixie, please!” said Twilight desperately. The lavender mare upped her pace so that she could look in Trixie's eyes again. “You don't have to be jealous of him, not on my part! He wanted to regain your trust, and he asked for my help, that's all.”

Trixie scoffed. It sounded like a very Flaire thing to do – playing the good guy to make himself look better. Whether it was true or not was a different matter. Even if it was, Trixie had no interest in 'making up' with him. She'd come this far without him, and having him around would just slow her down again.

She chanced a look over at Twilight, who still had a sad and concerned frown on her face. Even with the mood she was in, Trixie found it hard to just ignore that look...

“Trixie,” her partner began. “He... told me that you were brother and sister.”

“Hmph. I'll bet he did,” Trixie grunted. “I suppose you want to know why I didn't tell you?”

Twilight bit her lip, then shook her head. “I honestly don't care,” she said, taking Trixie by surprise. “It's none of my business. I shouldn't have gotten involved.”

Trixie found herself slowing down and regarding Twilight with a curious look. She'd been expecting the inquisitive unicorn to at least press her for information. And now she was just apologising and willing to leave it there?

“Then why did you try to help him in the first place?” Trixie asked.

Twilight slowed down along with her and glanced at the ground in thought. “I just thought it might be worth trying. That part of you might want to get to know your brother again, even if you were too proud to admit it.”

Trixie dropped her gaze. “...You were doing it for me then?”

“I thought it might make you happy,” Twilight muttered.

There was a long pause. Coming from anypony else, Trixie would've taken the sentiment as utter ponyfeathers – an excuse to get out of trouble. But this was Twilight, and this was the kind of thing that Twilight would do. In the face of that, it wasn't at all fair for Trixie to stay angry...

She huffed again and deliberately turned her head away. “Well, in that case, I suppose I'll have to forgive you.”

“Forgive me?” Twilight repeated.

Trixie threw her a look, at which the bemused expression on Twilight's face morphed into a hasty smile.

“I mean... good! Thank you.”

They stared at one another for a moment, before looking back to the path ahead in silence.

Their hotel was a fair ways away from the stadium, so it wouldn't exactly be a short walk. Whilst casting her mind about for something to occupy her, Trixie remembered the envelope that they'd been given in the waiting room.

“What's in the letter?” she asked, determined to sound casual.

“Hmm? Oh, right.” The lavender unicorn subtly flourished her horn and brought forth the envelope which held each of their names and titles on the front. She split it open and pulled out the single piece of paper within, holding it where they could both see it...

Competitors, congratulations on your performance during the first event. We have been instructed to inform you that Mittens thoroughly enjoyed himself, and that he and his tamer were both highly honoured to have the chance--

Trixie skipped ahead to the important part...

...Enclosed are the details of the third and final event of the Display.

For this event, each pair will be allocated a five minute time slot, during which they have the arena floor to themselves. During this time, your goal should be to use your magic in combination with your partner, in order to create a unique performance to 'wow' the crowd, as well as those judges who will be determining your score.

Besides the maximum time limit, there are no special restrictions for this event. You may use any and all forms of magic you possess in whatever way you deem most effective.

You have been allocated the remainder of today, in addition to the entirety of tomorrow, to plan and prepare for the event. You will receive a summons on the following morning, and a chariot will be waiting to deliver you to the stadium by noon. Shortly thereafter, the event will begin.

Also, as a fair warning, we are permitted to tell you that the weather schedule for the day of the event calls for rain, beginning mid-morning and ending in the late afternoon. All competitors should prepare themselves accordingly.

Good luck to you both. We look forward to your performance.

Having finished reading, Trixie gave the details one last skim before grunting loudly. “No different than what I do all the time. It should be easy... so long as there's nothing to fall off of,” she added in an undertone.

She still couldn't believe that she'd actually fallen from the pillar. As far as embarrassing losses went, that was one of her worst since... Well, one of her worst in a long time.

Trying to put it from her mind, she cast a glance over at Twilight, who was staring at the document, as if deep in thought.

“What's wrong with you?” said Trixie. “We're competing directly against the others' magic, they don't stand a chance.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, we're performing,” she stressed.

Trixie shrugged. “Same difference.”

“No, it's not,” said Twilight. “The other two events were practical challenges. This one sounds like it's a lot more about style... showing off.”

Trixie let out a loud groan and rolled her neck back in exasperation. “Tell me we're not going to do this again--”

“No, you're right, I'm sorry,” Twilight huffed. “I just don't want to mess this up. We're so close, and I know how much you want to win.”

“Twilight, please, you haven't messed anything up so far,” said Trixie darkly, scolding herself again. “I fell from the pillar and got disqualified, I made a dumb move and ruined our ruse with the chimaera... If anything, I should be the one worried about making another mistake.”

Twilight seemed to have no response for that, though her jaw tried hard to find one. After a long moment of her wordless stammering, Trixie finally took mercy and huffed again.

“Look, my point is that you are doing perfectly. Just keep it up and we'll come out on top.”

Twilight hesitated, but she managed a nod. “O-okay.”

* * *

They didn't get much of a chance to speak to one another that evening. Or rather, they had the chance, but Trixie opted not to take it.

Twilight headed into the library on the way back to the hotel, insisting that she pick up a couple of books on stage performance. Trixie, despite giving an unsubtle eye roll, made no verbal objection. If Twilight wanted to waste her evening on that, it was her choice. They had the whole of the following day to plan their performance anyway.

The two of them sat in their room that evening, with Twilight poring over her books in silence whilst Trixie sat on her couch, pretending to be planning out the coming event. In reality, she was just moping around, still distracted by her mistake – so much so that she found herself taking any opportunity she could to avoid making progress.

They had both agreed to compare notes and sit down for a planning session the following morning, but by the time it came, Trixie still had next to nothing to offer. And the night's restless sleep hadn't done anything to help her mood...

“'A Filly's Guide to Stage Performing: Magic Edition' insists that one should always take into consideration the size and positioning of the audience when planning presentations,” Twilight explained. “Therefore, the magnitude and direction of one's spells will always be directly affected by the number of ponies in the crowd, and their respective positions, to make sure that everypony can see. Right?”

“Mhm,” Trixie grunted. Her chin rested atop the arm of the couch, and she stared boredly at the opposite wall whilst her partner paced around the room.

“So, since our audience consists of several hundred ponies, sat in a huge circle around and above us, we have to make sure that any spell we use is big enough and high-up enough for them to see.”

“Mhm.”

“Hmm, and it's also going to be raining, so visibility is going to be less than desirable. What did the book say about that? '...Spells that use environmental conditions, such as weather, to their advantage show the ingenuity of the performer, and as such are generally encouraged...' I guess that means we should think about including some water-bending spells in our routine. What do you think, Trixie?”

“Mhm.”

It didn't even occur to Trixie that her response had been less than adequate until Twilight abruptly stopped pacing and let out a loud huff.

“Alright, this isn't working,” the bookish unicorn declared.

Trixie blinked, then again, before turning her eyes to Twilight, who was standing half-way across the room with a firm frown on her face. It was directed straight towards Trixie.

“...What?” said the showmare dumbly.

“You know what,” said Twilight. “You've been distracted all morning.”

Trixie closed her eyes and stretched her fetlocks out in front of her. “Mm. Have I?” she grunted casually.

“Yes! And you've been moody too.”

“...Moody?” Trixie repeated, sitting herself up and throwing Twilight a quizzical look.

The lavender mare nodded decidedly. “There's no point in us doing this now if you can't concentrate. You need a break. Come on.”

With that, Twilight turned, trotted over to the door and held it open. Trixie remained on her couch, bewildered. “And what exactly did you have in mind?” she asked defiantly.

“You're going out with me,” Twilight declared.

Trixie raised an eyebrow.

* * *

“Remind me where we're going,” said Trixie, casting a sidelong look at her partner as they ambled down one of Manehattan's many streets.

“I didn't say, because I don't know,” said Twilight relaxedly.

“You mean to tell me that you don't have our entire day planned out?” said Trixie. “I find that hard to believe.”

Twilight shrugged and smiled, unconcerned. “I can be impulsive sometimes. I guess the competition has helped to bring out that side of me.”

“Uh huh,” Trixie grunted sceptically.

Why she'd agreed to this was beyond her understanding. She didn't particularly want to be out 'taking a break' today. She'd much rather be indoors on her couch. Though she had to admit that she was curious as to what Twilight had in store for her. And her choice of words...

'You're going out with me.'

...Not that there was really anything strange about that expression, but it was still... interesting that Twilight had chosen it.

The streets were fairly busy, presumably because it was downtime for the Display. Or maybe everypony was simply out enjoying the heat of the sunshine before the rain tomorrow.

At any rate, Trixie and Twilight both drew a number of looks and excited mutterings from passers-by. Trixie would've felt a lot better about that if she'd actually finished the pillar climb... as it was, she couldn't tell whether what they were saying was in praise or derision. She actually glared at a couple of fillies that giggled in passing.

They'd been walking for a good fifteen minutes at least, before Twilight came to a steady stop and beamed at a building across the street. “There!” she said. “That's perfect!”

Trixie followed her gaze to the emblazoned sign above a long windowed storefront.

“'Mister Softy's Ice Cream Parlour',” she read aloud. “You're not serious...”

“You don't like Mister Softy's?” said Twilight, throwing her a surprised look.

Trixie flushed. “I-I didn't say-- It's just ridiculous. What if somepony saw us?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “In an ice cream parlour on a hot day? I don't think anypony would mind.”

The tantalising tinkle of the door across the street drew Trixie's eyes to where a trio of fillies had just emerged, bearing bowls of strawberry-glazed sundae on their backs. They set them down on one of the tables outside and beamed at one another before digging in. Trixie licked her lips.

She promptly shook her head and turned to Twilight, who was smiling invitingly.

“I-- Well--” Trixie tried, but ultimately she found herself conceding. With a loud huff, she started towards the parlour door. “Alright, fine. But I won't enjoy it.”

She forced herself to ignore the sound of Twilight clopping her hooves together in girlish triumph.

They entered the parlour and took the smallest table, in the corner by the window. Twilight waved over a waiter and ordered two of the same from the menu, without so much as asking Trixie's opinion. The showmare supposed that she could trust her though – Twilight Sparkle seemed to have good taste in sweets, at least.

As the waiter hurried off to get their order, Twilight flashed a wide smile across the table.

“Alright, what're you up to?” said Trixie.

“Nothing!” Twilight assured her. “We're taking a break to cheer you up, and I intend to do just that.”

Trixie grunted. “Don't need cheering up...”

Twilight definitely heard the grumble, but she didn't make any comment or argument – she just kept smiling.

The waiter promptly arrived back with two flutes of ice cream – creamy white with a strawberry glazing and a dainty cherry on top. Obviously, Twilight had seen Trixie looking at the fillies outside...

When Twilight offered payment, the waiter shook his head and declared that these two were on the house, since the pair of them were competitors in the Display. With that, and a “Thank you very much!” from Twilight, he left them alone.

While Trixie waited, eyeing her partner suspiciously, Twilight didn't hesitate. She dug in and raised the spoon to her lips, managing somehow to smile at Trixie even around the utensil in her mouth. For her part, Trixie rolled her eyes, determined not to smile back, despite how cute she looked.

Neither of them said anything as they both started eating their way through their desserts. It was... kind of delicious, Trixie supposed, but she didn't let the frown on her face falter.

It wasn't until about a third of the way down her flute that something distracted her from Twilight's insistent smile. Beyond the window, she perchance caught a hint of green in the corner of her eye.

Turning her head, she saw its source across the street, and her eyes narrowed into a firm glower. Flaire was strutting along – cool as he dared – with Desert Rose at his side, and together they were smiling and nodding to the passers-by that recognised them as competitors. 'Typical, attention-seeking, big-headed--'

“Ahem!”

Trixie blinked in surprise and turned to Twilight, who had just cleared her throat loudly. The lavender mare had an eyebrow raised and her spoon levitated mid-way to her mouth.

“...What?” said Trixie.

“Eyes on me, please,” said Twilight. “We're on a date, aren't we?”

Trixie's mouth edged open a little as she found herself hesitating. “T-that's a little bold, for you,” she said hurriedly, trying to hide her astonishment.

Twilight's cheeks reddened a little as she resumed lifting her spoon to her mouth, but for once, she didn't let her embarrassment get the best of her. “Well,” she said, glancing down at the table. “I had a Great and Powerful teacher, didn't I?”

She smiled up at Trixie again, before quirking her head cutely and taking the next spoonful of ice cream.

The normally self-assured showmare found herself at something of a disadvantage. Twilight Sparkle, confident and decisive? Trixie couldn't help but wonder if this was really her doing, more than it was that of Twilight's success in the Display. At any rate, she had to admit that she found it somewhat... appealing.

They both fell into silence again as Trixie tried to focus on eating, to little avail. Twilight seemed to make a game of staring across at her when she wasn't looking, only to pretend to be regarding her ice cream when the showmare looked up. Trixie stayed her comment of “That's annoying”, not wanting to give Twilight the satisfaction of admitting that she'd noticed...

* * *

While it felt like hours, in reality it only took minutes to finish their ice creams, after which it was still forenoon, and much of the day was still ahead of them. Rather than heading back to the hotel room though, Twilight insisted that their break wasn't over until Trixie was cheered up. And despite Trixie's assurances that she was plenty cheered up already, Twilight remained solidly determined. There was definitely something up her proverbial sleeve...

The lavender mare guided them through the streets – or rather, she plodded along, taking seemingly random turns and keeping an eye out for anything interesting, whilst Trixie followed beside her – and eventually they came to some sort of marketplace. The whole street ahead of them was flanked by stalls and stands of all kinds on either side of the road, and the place was bustling with activity.

“What do you suppose this is all about?” said Twilight, looking over at a stall that sold mainly hats and robes.

“It's probably in honour of the Display,” Trixie mused. “It looks like a lot of the stands are focused on selling magical goods – or replicas, anyway.”

Twilight's eyes went wide and glistened with excitement. “A magic bazaar?” she breathed. “I haven't been to one of these since I left Canterlot. Come on, let's explore!”

“Why? It's mostly junk,” said Trixie, even as she picked up a supposed legendary cape clasp, in the form of a red ruby jewel. She considered taking back her words for all of the two seconds it took her to find the 'Made in Las Pegasus' sticker on its back.

“That's not the point,” Twilight countered. She paused to press gently up against Trixie's side. “I want to explore with you.”

Trixie shot her a sidelong look. Twilight smiled back.

Conceding – though not without an air of suspicion – Trixie huffed and started towards one of the less dull-looking stands down the way. Her partner trotted merrily alongside, casting her eyes about with a lot more determination than it took for simply browsing. She was looking for something...

“So, what's wrong?” Trixie asked, as they passed another trinket stall.

“Nothing, as far as I know,” said Twilight cutely. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” huffed Trixie. This was getting unnerving, she had to say something... “Look, not that I don't admire the newfound confidence, but you're acting weird, even for you.”

Twilight cocked her head and gave an innocent smile. “Am I? Well, maybe I just woke up on the right side of bed this morning.”

Trixie stared at her, deadpan. Speaking from experience, there was a big difference between cute, morning Twilight and the Twilight that was walking beside her now. This wasn't just one of those 'annoyingly good mood' things.

Eventually, Twilight's smile faltered a little, and she turned her head away, pretending to look at the necklaces on a nearby stall. “Or, maybe, I woke up and decided that I was going to do something today.”

Intrigued now, Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And that something is?”

“A secret,” said Twilight shortly, trotting onwards without her. “But you'll find out as soon as I find what I'm looking for. And before you ask, that's a secret too.”

Trixie gave the back of Twilight's head a short glare. “Confound your secrets...”

For what felt like a very long time, they just walked and browsed in a sort of companionable but distracted silence. Trixie kept trying to guess what Twilight was looking for by the stalls she chose to scrutinise more closely, but to no avail. And despite getting no closer to finding whatever it was, Twilight didn't seem to lose any of her enthusiasm.

After searching about a dozen stalls, she did slow down noticeably, but her smile didn't leave her. She pressed unsubtly hard against Trixie's side, as a precursor to her next question. “Do you want to talk about the pillar?”

Trixie furrowed her brow. “The pillar?”

“That's what you're grumpy about, isn't it?” said Twilight. “Falling from the pillar. I mean, besides what happened with me and Flaire...”

“Forget Flaire,” snapped Trixie, seeing what Twilight was getting at. “I told you, I forgive you for that. You were right the first time – I'm mad at myself for not even finishing the race.”

Twilight opened her mouth. Trixie cut her off.

“Don't say it's not my fault. If it wasn't, then the flower filly would've fallen too. But she didn't – I was the only one.”

Twilight's mouth closed, and Trixie instinctively turned her gaze to one side with a self-punishing glare. She had to admit – silently, to herself – that part of her had been hoping that Twilight would argue with her, maybe to convince her that it wasn't her fault after all. But, in the end, they both knew that was a lie.

“It's not the end of the world though,” said Twilight, after a moment. “Or the Display, for that matter. In fact, since I beat Flaire, and we won the first event, we should still be in the lead, points-wise.”

Trixie shook her head slightly. “...That's not the point.”

Twilight sighed. “I know. I'm just trying to help you see the bright side. I want to see that smile of yours.”

“That's unlikely,” said Trixie, rolling her eyes. “I think the only thing that could make me smile right now would be--”

“Hold that thought!” said Twilight, beaming wide at a stall across the street. She flashed Trixie an excited look. “Wait right here, I'll be back in a second. No peeking!” And, with that, she dashed off towards the stall in question, disappearing into the small crowd that ambled past.

Trixie blinked after her. She'd been about to say 'your home-made cinnamon-apple pancakes', but if Twilight had seen those on that stall, Trixie would eat her cape.

'Why is she acting so strangely?' she wondered. 'Whatever she's decided to do today must be very important...'

As hard as she tried to deny it, Trixie felt a rush of anxious excitement well up inside. Whatever it was, it obviously had something to do with Trixie herself. But what was it?

When Twilight emerged from the crowd about three minutes later, with a subdued but still very warm grin on her face, Trixie got the feeling that she was about to get her answer.

“Okay,” said Twilight, choking a little as if her throat was dry. She promptly cleared it as she came to a stop beside Trixie and planted her hooves just-so on the pavement. It looked like she was about to give some sort of prepared speech.

But instead, she magically levitated what looked like a hoof-held mirror from behind her back, and proffered it to Trixie along with a smile.

Trixie raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at the object. Upon closer inspection, it was, indeed, a hoof-held mirror – oval in shape with a decent sized handle, all with what looked like solid gold around the edges. Said gold was emblazoned with a swirling pattern which gave it a rather regal look. It was pretty, for sure...

Taking it in her magic, Trixie chanced a brief look at her own reflection. She looked gorgeous of course, if perhaps a little grumpy too.

“Is this a hint that there's something on my face?” said Trixie, not realising how cold the words sounded until after she'd said them.

Twilight didn't seem to notice though – she actually let out a little giggle. “Hmhm, no. Touch it with your horn.”

Trixie creased her brow. “What? Why?”

“Just do it, trust me!” said Twilight brightly.

Confused as she was, Trixie wasn't exactly quick to obey. Twilight seemed awfully excited about this... She doubted that the bookish mare would play a prank on her, but it was strange, all the same. When it came down to it though, Trixie trusted her partner more than she trusted anypony...

'...Why not?' she reasoned with a curled lip.

Trixie leant forwards and lowered her horn slowly, glancing at Twilight as she did. The lavender mare held her smile. Biting the proverbial bullet, Trixie closed her eyes and pressed her horn up against the cold sheen of the mirror.

She felt a tingling surge as her magic connected with that which was hidden inside the mirror. The connection startled her, but she didn't pull away. It didn't feel malevolent, rather, it felt a little bit like... Twilight. That was the only way she could describe it.

Whatever spell the mirror had been channelling through her came to a gentle end. Trixie opened her eyes and pulled back to get a look at what had been done. Around the mirror, she saw that Twilight was still watching closely, though her smile seemed a little anxious now...

Trixie did a double-take at the image in the mirror. It was her – Trixie. But it wasn't her reflection, as it had been a moment ago. It was as if she was standing opposite herself, watching herself looking in the mirror... and it was as disorientating as it sounded.

She lifted her hoof. The Trixie in the mirror did the same. She moved the mirror to one side. The mirror within the mirror moved with it. She thrust a hoof towards Twilight. The azure mare in the mirror pointed right out towards Trixie. It was kind funny to watch...

It took a moment, but the cogs in Trixie's brain began to lock into place. She looked away from the mirror to meet Twilight's smiling, slightly amused eyes.

“It's... me,” Trixie muttered. “But from your point of view.”

Twilight nodded happily. “It's a sight-bonding enchantment. The spell within the mirror attunes itself to two unicorns, and whichever of those unicorns touches it thereafter will be able to see through the other's eyes.”

Trixie's jaw fell open a little as she glanced across at the mirror again. Sure enough, she saw her 'reflection' gawping to one side at the floating mirror.

“So... right now, I'm seeing myself through your eyes,” said Trixie. It wasn't a question – she understood the concept – but taking in this kind of magic was a bit of an undertaking.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “It only works between two ponies who trust one another, and if there's ever anything I'm not comfortable with you seeing--” She nodded at the mirror, then demonstrated looking across the street at another stall. “--The image blurs out.”

Trixie checked, and saw that her words rang true. The mirror seemed to have fogged up, though her attempt to wipe it clean was fruitless.

A moment later, the fog cleared as Twilight went back to smiling at Trixie. The fog that was forming in the showmare's mind however, was not so easy to get rid of.

“Why are you giving me this?” Trixie asked, searching for the answer in Twilight's eyes.

Twilight opened her mouth and hesitated, smile falling as she did. Where, for the entire morning so far, she'd been so brazen and confident, she suddenly seemed to mellow out into a much more familiar, self-conscious Twilight. The lavender mare dropped her gaze to Trixie's chest and pursed her lips in thought.

“...This is what I was looking for,” said Twilight quietly. “Something like it, anyway. I wanted a way to show you-- I-I mean, I wanted something to let you know that... I'm thinking about you.”

Trixie raised her eyebrows and gulped as the street around them seemed to go deadly silent.

Twilight bit her lip for a second before continuing. “If we split up after the Display, this will keep us connected. You can look at it and... you'll just... know.”

She met Trixie's eye. There was a pause for all of a second before Twilight started stammering in a sort of panicked determination. “A-and the reason I chose this in particular is because I was looking for something to make you smile, a-and I started thinking about things that make me smile and then the first thing that came to mind was...” She broke off and managed to take a silent breath as she bit her lip again. “...You.”

The sheepish mare tipped her head to one side as she went on at a mercifully slower pace. “I-I thought, if you could see yourself the way I see you, then it might--” She made a face as if she was cringing inside. “--Oh, I sound so sappy...”

Trixie found herself staring, wide-eyed as her partner turned her gaze to the ground in shame. In the long silence that followed, Trixie's brain functions started to return, and she began to process everything she'd just heard.

Words didn't avail her. The only thing she could think to do was to turn to look in the mirror that floated beside her.

Held within was a misty image of the stone paved floor beneath Twilight, with a purple blob – which looked like a hoof – in one corner. Trixie stared at it for moments that might've been minutes, until finally, it began to shift.

Steady as it dared, the image within the mirror seemed to pan upwards as Twilight lifted her head. It was still hazy, but Trixie could see her own hooves. Then her fetlocks joined the picture, her chest. A hesitant pause. Then her face.

The mist started to disperse. Trixie could make out more and more of herself within the mirror, until at last she became clear as day – the tall, azure-coated mare with long, silvery locks that parted at the ends. Her face wasn't blank, rather, it was calm, confident... serene. The cape fastened around her neck flowed softly along her sleek back and down past her hindlegs, where the hint of a tail crept out from underneath one side. As cliché as it sounded, she was beautiful.

Trixie's lip twitched. A smile was tugging at her, and she no longer felt any desire to hide it.

As her mouth curled upwards at one side, then the other, so too did that of the mare in the mirror. It was the tiniest, most lovely smile, and the sight of it only served to make it grow larger.

Trixie brought a hoof up to brush her mane back past her ear. She felt a tingling rush as her reflection copied her. There was absolutely no convincing herself otherwise – these were Twilight's feelings. This was what her partner had wanted to show her.

And to think, all this time she'd been worried about Twilight falling under Flaire's spell...

“Twilight,” she muttered, remembering the mare across from her and meeting her gaze. “I... I don't know what to say.”

Twilight pursed her lips and shook her head the tiniest smidge. “You don't have to say anything--”

“Yes, I do,” Trixie interrupted. “I just... I need some time to think about it--” She paused, specifically trying not to make sense of the tightness in her stomach. “--But, not now. Just... wait. Okay?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “...Okay.”

Feeling that there was something left to be done – something missing that kept her from moving on – Trixie bit back her pride and ground a hoof against the pavement. “...Thank you for cheering me up,” she said, managing an honest smile at her partner. It was easier than she'd thought.

The lavender unicorn across from her cracked a smile of her own. When she realised that Trixie was being genuine, the smile grew even wider.

There was a long, long pause, during which Trixie continued to stare at Twilight. She wasn't thinking – that was for later, when she had some time alone. But simply standing there, smiling, didn't seem all that ridiculous, now that she'd seen herself through Twilight's eyes.

A gentle breeze blew past, and the world around them seemed to fall back into place, piece by piece. The market was still there, and ponies were still milling about, filling the air with the sound of hoof falls and chatter.

Trixie wasn't startled by the sudden awareness though. In fact, it was as if some sort of strange calm had overtaken her, and for the briefest of moments, her senses were all attuned perfectly in a burst of clarity...

A pair of colts sang in tune somewhere beyond the crowd.

An earth pony at a nearby stall juggled magical, flaming torches, to 'ooo's and 'ah's from the crowd watching him.

The feather behind Twilight's ear fluttered in the breeze...

“Trixie? Are you alright?” said Twilight, noticing the blank look on Trixie's face as her eyes roamed the market, taking in the little details one-by-one and piecing them together.

After a long moment of silence, Trixie's lips finally lifted into a smile. She reached out and put a hoof on Twilight's fetlock.

“Twilight,” she said. “I'm a genius...”

* * *

21 - Duet (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-one: Duet

“What are you looking at?”

Twilight shook herself out of her daydream and pretended to have just noticed Trixie, who was glaring at her from beside a bookshelf across the room. Rain was pattering down against the windows of Ponyville library, so, naturally, Twilight had retreated to a magical studies book to pass the time. Not that she'd really been reading it...

“Well?” said Trixie impatiently.

“O-oh, it's nothing.”

The showmare rolled her eyes. “Trixie will rephrase. Why are you staring at Trixie? Is there something on her face? Ugh, Trixie knew that dragonling was up to something with that marker...”

“No, there's nothing on your face, Trixie,” Twilight assured her. “I was just... lost in thought.”

“You were thinking?” Trixie repeated. “About what?”

“I don't know... nothing,” said Twilight, for the third time.

Trixie raised a brow. “You were thinking about nothing?”

Twilight felt her face grow red, and she dropped her gaze to the table in front of her. “Well, yes. Haven't you ever just stared at somepony and thought about... nothing?”

It wasn't really a question, more of a defensive gesture. Trixie regarded her with a befuddled look all the same.

“No, Trixie can't say that she has,” the showmare said bluntly.

Twilight let out a hopeless sigh. “No, me neither...”

* * *

“Twilight?”

The sound of Trixie's voice dragged Twilight back to the present, where she found herself bombarded by the sights and sounds of the crowded stadium around her. Rain spattered down upon the roof of the competitors' box in which she sat, onto the canopies erected over the stands to protect the crowd, and down into the uncovered arena itself.

Beside her sat the other eight competitors, along with Trixie. She was giving Twilight a concerned and impatient look.

“What's wrong with you?” the showmare asked.

Twilight shook her head to refocus. “N-nothing! And you don't have to say it like that...” she added in an undertone.

Trixie let out an apologetic huff. “Sorry, but this event is really important. It could mean the difference between winning the Display and being beaten by Flaire. We can't afford to let ourselves get distracted.”

“I know, you're right,” said Twilight, nodding to herself more than to her partner. All their work this far would be for nothing if they didn't win this last event. And Twilight was determined to make sure they didn't fail, for Trixie's sake.

The lavender unicorn flashed her partner a reassuring smile. “I won't let you down.”

There was a long moment in which the showmare just stared at Twilight in consideration. And then she blinked, and smiled too. “I know,” she muttered.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, your attention please!” came the announcer's echoing voice at last.

'Here we go,' Twilight thought to herself.

“Everypony is present and accounted for, so I'd say it's about time for us to get this event underway. What do you say, folks?”

His answer was a roar of approval from the gathered crowd. Apparently, the Manehattanites weren't going to let the rain dampen their spirits today.

“I'm glad we're in agreement!” the announcer chuckled. “Then, without further ado, I give you the third and final event of this year's Manehattan Display!”

The ground shook slightly and a muffled rumbling sound met Twilight's ears. Peeking out, she saw the long stone slabs sliding out from the arena wall, forming a staircase all the way down from the box to the floor of the ring, just as they'd done after the first event.

“Our first performance will be graciously given by our pair of powerful stallions themselves – Earth Twister and Sandstorm!”

“Alright!” cried Twister from beside Twilight, thrusting a hoof up into the air as the audience let out another cheer. “Let's do this!”

* * *

The performance that the brothers gave was splendid, as were those of Bay Dasher, Cherry Blossom, Nightshade and Violet. But Twilight was forcing herself not to focus too much on what they were doing, besides clapping along with the the rest of the crowd at the more impressive feats. What was important right then was their own performance, which could well have been coming up next, each time.

It didn't though. Once Nightshade and Violet – the third act – had taken their bows and started their return to the box, the announcer called out the next pair...

“Flaire and Rose, please make your way down into the arena!”

Trixie let out an obvious, weary groan. Twilight knew that her partner was eager to show off the 'genius' performance they'd spent all night planning, so it was understandable that she'd be put out to be going last again.

“Wish us luck,” Flaire muttered as he brushed past Twilight, heading for the staircase.

Twilight opened her mouth to do so, by reflex, but she hesitated. She managed to stop the words and shut her mouth, matching Trixie's silence and trying not to feel too bad about it. 'He probably didn't expect a reply anyway,' she reasoned.

Desert Rose swept elegantly after him, wearing a sparkling, teal dress that would've made Rarity proud. Its shortish tail trailed just behind her hooves, and Twilight was hard pressed not to stare. None of the other competitors – save Cherry Blossom and her flower garland – had dressed for the event, but Twilight began to question whether she should have done so herself...

When Flaire and Rose had stepped out into the rain and started making their way down into the arena, Twilight turned to Trixie. Despite her earlier words, the showmare looked nothing short of utterly distracted, glaring at Flaire's smiling image on the water screen across the way.

“I'm sure his performance won't be all that amazing,” Twilight lied, trying to cheer her partner up. “Not compared to ours, at least.”

“Of course it won't,” said Trixie haughtily. “The two of them are no match for us...”

How wrong they were...

A gentle but quickly-paced music began to sound throughout the stadium as soon as Flaire and Rose had taken their positions. At first, they just stood there – either waiting or mentally preparing their spells – but as soon as the music picked up, they closed in on one another. And, in perfect time with the euphony, they literally began to dance across the arena floor.

Magical spotlights followed their movements from an impossible source within the clouds – changing colour along with the tempo and mood of the music – and each and every one of their twirls or flourishes was emphasised by a unique, eye-catching spellcast. They were small at first, like a wave of colourful sparks or a flash of light, but before long they began combining their magic to affect even the rain – weaving the droplets around themselves such that they looked as thousands of tiny, sparkling fireflies.

For her part, Twilight couldn't take her eyes off of them the entire time, and she was just as silent as the rest of the audience as she watched the fantastic routine play out flawlessly, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times before. It wasn't until after the music came to a steady end and the two finished with a flowing bow that the dams of silence finally broke.

The applause was unlike anything Twilight had ever heard. She had to fight to keep herself to a polite clap as everypony else in the stands rose to their hooves and stomped the ground or yelled, cheering their approval for what felt like minutes as the pair remained where they were, soaking it all up with proud smiles. The water screen across the way showed that even Princess Celestia herself was clapping her hooves and smiling, and it was obvious that it wasn't just out of politeness.

Twilight felt a sudden lurch in her stomach as she realised how much pressure was on her now. Flaire and Rose had impressed not only the entire crowd, but the Princess as well... She wished that she and Trixie had gone first and gotten it over with...

Trixie got abruptly to her hooves, though clearly not to applaud, and Twilight gave a start. The showmare glowered firmly down at Flaire, determination set on her face. For one, very frightening moment, Twilight Sparkle worried that her partner meant to jump down into the arena and tackle him, in front of their thousand pony audience.

But, mercifully, she didn't – she just stood there in silence, waiting for the applause to die down and for Flaire and Rose to start making their way back up the stairs.

“Are you okay?” said Twilight, trying to focus on Trixie and not on the funny looks the other competitors were giving her.

“Just fine,” Trixie muttered darkly, though she didn't sit down.

“...And now it's time for our final pair to take the stage and grace us with their performance...”

Already on her hooves, Trixie turned to stride along the row towards the stairs, not even waiting for her name to be called. Twilight almost tripped over herself to catch up with her.

“...I know you're all as excited as I am, folks! So I'll waste no more time in giving you our two lovely, title-worthy mares, the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle, and the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

The roaring applause fell on deaf ears as Trixie approached Flaire and his partner, who'd just crested the top of the stairs. She seemed resolute as to not to look directly at him, despite – or perhaps because of – the look he was giving her. This time, at least, it was definitely a crowing smirk... though Twilight couldn't really fault him. He was probably just really proud of himself, and rightfully so.

Positioning herself between the two of them, Twilight pressed up against Trixie's side - half to keep Trixie from going for him should he say something, and half to keep herself from accidentally complimenting his performance. As yesterday, she was determined to show Trixie 'whose side she was on', if it really had to come to that.

The two pairs passed one another in silence, for which Twilight was unspeakably grateful. As she and Trixie stepped down onto the stairs and started their descent, she felt the rain falling on her mane and coat. It was a gentle sort of rain, not stormy or uncomfortable by normal standards. Maybe a little chilly... but it wouldn't be a problem.

Right then, she was much more concerned about the bitter glare on her partner's face.

“Don't let it get to you,” Twilight whispered, loudly enough for only Trixie to hear. “I know we'll do even better than them.”

“I said I'm fine,” Trixie repeated. “There's no doubt in my mind that we'll beat Flaire. Our magic will put his to shame.”

Twilight frowned. It sounded like Trixie was trying to convince herself, more than anypony else...

“Right,” said Twilight. “You know, it's okay to be a little bit nervous. This is a really important event--”

“Trixie doesn't get nervous,” said the showmare darkly.

Twilight let out a sigh. 'There she goes again...'

“Fine, then put a smile on, for me at least,” said Twilight. “I can't focus if you're all sour-faced.”

There was a peculiar sort of pause as Trixie's face went blank and her determined trot slowed into a walk. Twilight slowed down too, keeping a close eye on her partner. Amidst the rain, it was almost impossible to make out the blush in Trixie's cheeks. Almost.

Realising what she must've been thinking about, Twilight snapped her eyes front as heat rose to her own cheeks. “I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up now--”

“It's fine,” said Trixie quietly.

Another moment passed in silence as they neared the bottom of the stairs. Twilight silently scolded herself for making Trixie think about the mirror again, when they were both supposed to be focusing on the task before them.

But when she turned to say as much to Trixie, she found the showmare smiling at her – just smiling – and the words died on her tongue. She felt warm.

They spoke no more as they stepped down onto the rain-slick arena floor, and Twilight felt the eyes of everypony in the stands upon them. But somehow, her nerves didn't seem fain to get the best of her today. That smile didn't necessarily mean anything, but even still...

They got into position – a good dozen strides apart and facing each other in the centre of the arena – and the place fell silent but for the rain patter and the quiet mutterings of the crowd. Trixie's smile had vanished now, replaced by a cool readiness.

Twilight took a deep breath through her nose, released it, and cleared her mind, mimicking her partner's expression. From here, the act was planned. They'd had nowhere to rehearse the more dramatic spells, but the way that Trixie had explained what she wanted to do was so perfectly clear that there was no doubt in Twilight's mind that she understood.

'I'm ready, Trixie,' she willed. 'Just give me a signal.'

No time was wasted. Trixie lowered her head, rainwater tumbling from her mane as she did, and lit up her horn.

Twilight let out another breath and copied her, focusing on a particular image in her mind. She let her spell charge, waiting for a five count as planned, before then raising her horn towards the sky.

A blue, magical firework shot from her horn, just as a purple one launched from Trixie's, each of them leaving sparkling trails in their wake as they soared into the air. Their paths crossed just above the height of the stands. A second more, and they detonated.

The ensuing burst of colour from Twilight's firework took the shape of the image she'd been focusing on, painting a picture of Trixie's cutie mark in the sky – a luminescent wand over an elegant flick of magic dust. Beside it, Trixie's firework burst into an image of Twilight's own cutie mark – picture perfect, and with a flattering sparkle added for extra effect.

The crowd made quiet sounds of awe as they stared upwards, watching the spectacle before them. Twilight dragged her eyes away to begin the next spellcast whilst they were distracted.

Across from her, Trixie nodded by way of a signal, and together they lit up their horns and magically reached out across the arena floor. It was a spell that Twilight had seen Trixie use many times before, but this time with something of a twist, to make it more versatile.

Twilight felt a coolness around her hooves as white mist began to rise from the ground. As expected, the moisture on the stone floor – and in the air above it – was easy to manipulate. It took surprisingly little energy to form a solid fog that rose up high enough to cover their knees, ready for the next stage. But that was the easy part.

The last sparkles from the fireworks in the sky were fading now, and gazes were turning back to the centre ring, expectant of the next trick.

Twilight waited until she was sure they had everypony's attention, then let go of the spell and raised her horn towards the sky. An exaggerated, bright light began to emanate from it, and as Trixie continued to sustain the mist, Twilight began to channel a wind spell.

A breeze picked up, gently at first, only enough to brush her mane ever so slightly with its current. She poured a bit more magic into it, and smiled beside herself as the mist began to lift up from the ground.

She had to close her eyes to focus now – controlling the currents to such pinpoint effect was no everyday task. The wind began to flow in a spiral around the arena, forming a vortex as more and more energy was put into the spell. She felt her mane flowing out to one side, and heard the roar of the whirling wind past her ears. She just needed to hold it here for a few seconds...

She flinched as she felt what could only be described as a magical prod – as if somepony was trying to get her attention. She chanced an eye open to investigate, then opened the other as she beheld the massive, swirling twister before her. It already rose higher than the stands themselves, and if not for its colour, it might've been confused for a real tornado.

Catching Trixie's eye, Twilight hurriedly stayed her spell, realising that she'd overdone it a little. With her partner's magic still sustaining the mist, the vortex didn't dissipate, though it spun slower now that the wind guiding it had stopped.

Twilight forced herself to keep her focus, as she didn't want to miss her opportunity. She was admittedly a little downtrodden from the quick succession of the spells, but she'd have a moment to rest after this next one.

She flicked her head to one side, calling forth a wisp of illusory flame atop her horn. She glanced around at the audience, once more making sure that she had their attention, before touching the flame to the still swirling mist at her hooves.

The very second that the two spells made contact, there was an incredible rush of magic. All at once, Twilight jumped back, the crowd gasped, and the entire vortex became a flaming inferno as the fire spread up from the base to the very top, bathing the stadium in a brilliant orange light.

When they'd recovered from their shock, the audience broke into applause.

Even to Twilight, it was very impressive – a hurricane of flame roaring and dancing in the centre of the arena. She suddenly felt doubly glad that she'd managed to talk Trixie out of using real fire for this trick. The heat alone would've been enough to singe the hair of everypony in the stands...

Twilight's part was over now though. The climax of this trick belonged to Trixie.

Walking backwards, Twilight got herself into a position where she could see the showmare around the torrent of flame that was beginning to burn away. She meant to give Trixie a signal, but it seemed there was no need – she already had her head low, charging the spell.

'Make it a good one, Trixie!'

A few seconds later, the showmare flicked her head upwards with a grunt, and a ghostly figure launched itself from her horn. The figure twisted in midair and let out a caw, throwing forth its limbs to reveal itself as a bluish, spectral eagle. It flew straight up with lightning speed, and the crowd followed it with their eyes until it was higher than the inferno itself.

It hung there, proudly holding its beak to the sky to revel in the attention – very much how Twilight would expect Trixie to act if she were an eagle. And then it fell into a dive.

Twilight braced herself as the bird plummeted into the centre of the vortex, vanishing into flame to more gasps from the audience. For the tensest moment, there was only silence. Until...

With a satisfying crack, the vortex exploded outwards, sending wisps of flame soaring across the stadium. Twilight's jaw edged open as she watched the spectacle unfold before her...

Instead of vanishing into the air with the rest of the vortex, the little flaming wisps – of which there must've been at least a hundred – began to dance through the air. There was a gentle flash as one of them collided with another, and in their place was left a tiny, fiery bird, which chirped loudly as it fluttered along with the wisps.

Another flash, another bird, another chirp. Then another, and another. The wisps began joining together faster and faster, and before long, a veritable bird song resounded through the stadium. The rain didn't hinder the little critters as they danced and sang together in the air.

A sudden, thunderous applause kicked up across the stands. Apparently, the trick looked just as amazing from up there as it did from Twilight's point of view. Trixie had really outdone herself...

Twilight snatched her gaze away from the singing fire birds, in favour of checking on her partner. Trixie was still looking up at the sky, regarding her spellwork with a proud smile on her face. But when she noticed Twilight looking, she seemed all too happy to meet her eyes, and the smile melted into the same, gentle one that she'd given before the act.

Twilight couldn't help but smile back, her eyes a little heavy with pride for herself and Trixie both, at producing such beautiful magic.

From there, the act took on a much less dramatic – though certainly more energetic – form. Keeping with the theme of fire and light, the two unicorns filled the dark, rainy sky with brilliant fireworks and more illusory creatures. The crowd cheered and applauded at all the right moments...

And each time they did, it seemed to spark an even further increased confidence in Twilight Sparkle, though she couldn't believe that was possible. There, weaving her spells with Trixie's in a graceful dance of magic, she couldn't remember ever feeling more confident in all of her life.

At long last, it came time to draw the act to a close. The shining orb that was their last spell descended from its spot above the stands, and its purple and blue rays of light slowly faded away, to another wave of appreciative clapping and stomping of hooves.

Twilight met Trixie's eye. The showmare nodded and took the first step forwards.

'Grand finale...' Twilight thought to herself, trying to contain her excitement as she followed suit.

The two mares began to close the distance between one another, keeping their eyes locked and their postures steady. Every hoofstep seemed to echo across the stadium, and the sound of the rain's ambient patter lessened ever more.

Finally, they stood before one another, a hoof's breadth apart. Twilight tried and failed to hide an amused smirk as she looked over Trixie's features – her coat was matted with the rainwater, and strands of her mane were stuck to her face. But Trixie was smirking too, and Twilight knew she didn't look any tidier herself.

Trixie closed her eyes, and her horn enkindled a purplish light.

Twilight closed her eyes, and drew on the same spell.

Together, they leant forwards and touched their horns together, sending a powerful, electric prickle through the air around them. The low hum of shared magic sent a warm feeling through Twilight's whole body, as she and Trixie began to channel together.

The spell was charged, and no signal was needed. They launched the spell as one, sending a brilliant beam of purple-blue light up into the sky. In a split second, it had pierced the cloud cover, and from there, it only intensified.

Twilight could no longer feel the rain on her back, nor hear the gasps and cries of the crowd. The only thing she felt was the warmth.

After seconds or minutes of the spell's blazing light, she finally pulled back and opened her eyes, just as Trixie did the same. A yellow glow draped over the azure mare that smiled back at her, highlighting the wetness of her coat and the faint glisten in her eyes.

They looked up together, squinting in the sunlight as they beheld the results of their spell. The dark clouds that had been hanging over the stadium were gone. Over the entire ring, the rain had stopped, and now the sun was shining through to make the moisture of the arena glint like gold dust.

And to top it all off, a glorious, magical rainbow had taken the clouds' place, giving the sky a multichrome finish.

The stadium was silent. Too silent.

Twilight suddenly found herself glancing about at those ponies in the stands, who were steadily all turning their eyes to her and Trixie. She licked her lips nervously.

“...I think we might have overdone it,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

“Just bow,” Trixie hissed. “Trust me.”

With a hefty gulp, Twilight nodded and turned, along with Trixie, to face Princess Celestia's box atop the stands. She hesitated for a moment more, before lowering herself into a generous bow.

She kept her eyes shut tight as the silence dragged on, hoping that they hadn't upset anyone by breaking the weather... Even the normally vocal announcer didn't seem to have anything to say.

And then a single, echoing clap broke the veil. Exactly who it belonged to was mystery, but it was soon joined by another, then another, and the infectious clap spread through the stands like wildfire.

Twilight chanced a look up. In her box, high above, the Princess was clapping too. And though Twilight couldn't make out the look on her face from this far away, she knew that Celestia was smiling down on her.

“Told you,” Trixie muttered happily, drawing herself upright to revel in the applause.

Twilight smiled beside herself once again. She, too, stood up and looked over the crowd, many of whom were on their hooves, cheering loudly. Whether or not they'd gotten a bigger applause than Flaire and Rose was difficult to tell, but she had a good feeling.

With their performance now ended, they didn't wait for the announcer to say anything – they headed straight for the stairs leading back up to their box. As they began their ascent, Twilight conjured up a heat spell to dry herself off, and Trixie did the same.

“You were incredible, Trixie,” said Twilight, smiling across at her. “But I'm sure you knew that already.”

“Of course I did,” said Trixie proudly. “I'll admit that it would've been a little difficult for Trixie to get that kind of response alone though. You deserve some of the credit.”

Twilight let out a giggle. “Oh, how generous of you.”

Trixie simply flicked back her mane and smiled at the sky with closed eyes.

“Did you really come up with all of that in the bazaar?” said Twilight, narrowing a mock suspicious brow.

“No,” Trixie admitted brightly. “Just the opener and the finale. The rest just flowed from there.”

Twilight giggled quietly again. “You're really in your element. It's nice to watch.”

“You mean 'amazing to watch',” said Trixie. “But I'll forgive you, this time.”

By the time they reached the top of the stairs, they'd completely dried themselves off. Their fellow competitors offered no comment as the pair squeezed past to get to their seats, except for Flaire, who smirked and bowed his head.

Twilight simply smiled and flushed, whilst Trixie paid him no mind at all.

“W-well! That was something alright!” came the announcer's voice, as the mares took their seats. “Thank you, Twilight and Trixie, for that amazing show – a nod to our lovely Princess herself. I'm sure the weather team won't mind too much that we let a bit of sunshine in!”

A short chuckling rolled through those of the audience that got the joke, though Twilight managed naught but a sheepish grin. She really hoped that she hadn't made too much work for anypony...

“That marks the end of our third and final event of this year, fillies and gentlecolts, and what a way to finish things off! I'm sure you'll all join me in thanking our competitors with one more round of applause!”

And join him they did.

The ten competitors all got to their hooves and accepted the gracious applause, waving, bowing, or blowing kisses to the crowd, as was expected of them. Twilight herself only waved, thoughtfully taking in the audience for one last time.

'That's it, then,' she mused. 'No more events, no more performances. It's all up to the judges now.'

Of course, it wasn't technically the last time the audience would be cheering for them. There was still the closing ceremony to come, after all – where the winners would be announced. But still, things felt as if they were drawing to a close...

“Thank you all, thank you all,” said the announcer, hushing everypony. “Now, if you'll all please take your seats, we have something of a special announcement for everyone.”

Twilight made an inquisitive sort of noise and glanced at Trixie as they sat down again. Trixie just shrugged.

“Normally, the closing ceremony would take place tomorrow – at noon on the day following the final event,” the announcer explained. “But this year, it will be postponed to the next day, in order to give everypony a chance to prepare for tomorrow's celebration...”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. She didn't remember hearing anything about a celebration.

“As the history buffs among you may already know, this year marks the hundredth annual Display here in Manehattan. And, in honour of a hundred years of fantastic magical talent, our benefactors have very generously funded and organised a social event for tomorrow evening...

“The details will be given to you on your way out, but to put it simply, all of you – competitors included – are hereby invited to join us from seven PM tomorrow in the Mane Event Ballroom, for a dance!”

This time, it was cheering and excited murmuring that spread through the gathered crowd. Some of the other competitors made noises of appreciative surprise. Twilight and Trixie just looked at one another with wide eyes.

“Dance?” they chorused.

* * *

Final Interlude - Getting It Right

“Eyes On You”

Final Interlude: Getting It Right

“A dance,” Trixie grumbled. “Whose idea was that, anyway? And announcing it at the last minute! How do they expect us to prepare for that in just one day?”

The soothing background music of the restaurant in which she and Twilight sat did nothing to calm her nerves. She'd been on edge ever since the announcement a few hours prior, and despite her attempts to hide this by acting indignant, it seemed like Twilight was beginning to notice.

“Um, call me silly, but after everything we've just been through, I don't think preparing for a dance is going to be that much of a problem,” said Twilight, tilting her head with a smile. “We just need dresses, and maybe a mane stylist, right?”

“Well... yes,” Trixie huffed.

Twilight cracked a questioning frown. “Unless there's something you're not telling me...”

“No, Trixie is an excellent dancer,” said Trixie immediately.

“O-kay...” said Twilight, raising a brow.

Trixie's cheeks flushed and she cast her eyes to one side. “I just meant that there's nothing wrong. I'm not worried about the dance.”

Twilight didn't seem very convinced. “Really? Because if you don't want to go--”

“We're going, Twilight,” Trixie affirmed. “Everypony will be expecting us to make an appearance. If we don't show up, it'll just mean more attention for Flaire... and the others.”

“I... guess so,” Twilight granted, summoning up another faint smile. “I'm sorry, I do want to go with you. I just thought that maybe you didn't want to go – from what you were saying, I mean.”

Trixie shook her head and sighed. To be honest, she didn't want to go – it'd probably be very boring anyway, not to mention that her dancing skills were a little rusty. She'd much rather spend the evening at the hotel with Twilight, and maybe get an early night ready for the following day. But still, what she'd said was true – they had to go if they didn't want to be overshadowed by the others.

“I'll be fine,” she huffed. “I'm only complaining because I want to get the closing ceremony over and done with, so I can know for sure that we've beaten Flaire. All this waiting is just going to make me more... anxious.”

Twilight nodded along with her words. “I know what you mean,” she said. “But I don't think we need to worry. I have a good feeling.”

Trixie frowned down at the table. “Yes... me too.”

* * *

Their first course arrived soon after, and they steadily made their way through it in silence. It was quite lovely – and very generous of those organising the Display to offer them a free meal here. But Twilight found it difficult to enjoy it completely, what with the obvious unease of the mare across from her.

Part of her wondered whether Trixie's mood was really to do with the dance at all. She imagined that Trixie would be a wonderful dancer, and the proud showmare would usually jump at the chance to get a ballroom full of attention to herself. So, maybe it was the prospect of going with Twilight...

'She's probably still distracted with thinking about it,' Twilight mused, thinking back to yesterday's confession, and the mirror that went along with it. It was good, of course, that Trixie was taking her seriously – and there was no doubt in Twilight's mind that she was – but she didn't want her partner to get stressed over it.

Twilight swallowed her mouthful of salad and looked across the table at Trixie, who was still staring at her plate and chewing idly.

“What are you thinking about?” Twilight asked, feeling terribly redundant.

Trixie looked up and conveyed a very deliberate look.

A moment passed before Twilight frowned and nodded slowly. “Trixie, I said you didn't have to say anything. But--” she added, forestalling any argument, “--if you want to, then I'll wait for you. Just... don't rush yourself.”

Trixie blinked a couple of times, then tried to brush her obvious embarrassment off with an eye roll, but she didn't look as if she even managed to convince herself.

“I won't,” she muttered. “I mean, I wasn't. I wasn't even thinking about that anyway.”

“O-oh!” said Twilight, dropping her eyes to the table again. “Um, sorry... Just forget I said anything.”

“Done,” said Trixie abruptly, flashing a playful smile that said she wasn't upset after all. “Let's just talk about something else, shall we?”

Twilight nodded emphatically. “Y-yes!” she said, straightening herself up into a mock business-like pose. “Ahem. Let's.”

Trixie managed a reassuring smirk.

The two were soon caught up in conversation about the others' performances – deliberately steering clear of Flaire's, which was obviously dangerous ground – and they shared a couple of laughs over the remainder of lunch, and dinner as well. During the time between the two meals, Twilight was absorbed in a book she'd checked out of the library, and Trixie busied herself with whatever she could find to do.

They agreed to do their shopping for the dance in the morning, so, for the most part, the rest of the day was very relaxed and blissfully unthoughtful. For Twilight, at least...

* * *

Trixie laid awake on her couch, staring blankly up at the starry-patterned ceiling. She wasn't quite sure what time it was... probably sometime around midnight, if she had to guess. And she wasn't feeling sleepy in the slightest.

It was far from a good thing.

'Worrying' about the dance had given her something to keep her mind busy all afternoon. But, by now, Twilight's reassurances had gotten to her, and dragged those worries from her mind, leaving her with only two prominent concerns...

The first was winning the Display – which she had no control over. The second was finding an answer for the enigma that was Twilight – which she had complete control over. At least, she knew she should've had control over it, and that was just making it even more frustrating.

'Why didn't I just say something, then and there?' Trixie cursed herself. 'It would've made so much more sense – would've been so much easier if I'd just... Ugh, but I didn't. And now, here I am, stressing over it...'

She rolled over onto her side and glared at the couch pillow. In reality, she knew she hadn't said anything right away because she'd been stunned by Twilight's confession. Not that she'd been blind to the way her friend felt, only to the extent that she felt it. It was admittedly overwhelming, and it made Trixie feel very uneasy.

The question rang again through her mind. 'What am I supposed to say?'

Twilight had really said everything there was to be said when she hoofed over the mirror. Next to that, anything Trixie herself tried to say now would just be completely redundant. But she couldn't just go back on her word and say nothing either, her pride prevented that. Then again, it was technically her pride that was keeping her from thinking about it in the first place...

'I hate this,' she told herself, shutting her eyes tight and trying to force herself to sleep. 'Thinking is overrated.'

Trying not to think about anything worked for all of two seconds, after which she let out an exasperated huff and rolled over again, facing Twilight's bed. She opened her eyes and gazed across the dimly moonlit room at the slumbering mare. The blankets draped over Twilight's form rose and fell steadily with her silent breathing, and Trixie couldn't help but stare.

'...Why is this so hard?' she wondered. 'I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie – I don't shy away from things like this... not that I've ever been in a situation like this.'

She rolled off of the couch and strode over to the bedside, not quite sure what she was hoping to achieve. She knelt down there, a breath away from Twilight's face, and studied it carefully.

The pretty, lavender unicorn didn't seem to be having any trouble sleeping. In fact, there was a tiny smile on her lips – probably telling of good dreams playing in her head. Honestly though, it was hard to imagine a bad night's sleep in a bed like that...

“You're far too understanding, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie told the sleeping beauty. “How can you be so relaxed in the face of something like this?”

'Unless you already know...' Trixie's mind finished for her. There was a long, thoughtful pause, before she shook her head and let out a quiet huff. '...Ugh, what am I doing? This must look really creepy.'

She got to her hooves and turned to make her way back to the couch, determined to get to sleep and try to settle this in the morning, when she might be able to think clearly.

* * *

At some point during the notably restless night, Trixie did manage to doze off, but she got far from a good night's sleep. Waking up to see Twilight knelt on the bed, smiling at her over the top of a book did wonders to help her mood though.

After the two had breakfasted and cleaned themselves up, it came time to get down to the day's business. Namely, finding attire for the dance that evening – in their somewhat limited timeframe, thanks to Trixie's oversleeping.

At Twilight's suggestion, they split up to each find their own outfit, and agreed to meet back at the hotel for a late lunch before dressing up. But therein lay Trixie's next dilemma...

'What do I wear?'

“No. No. No. No. N-- Wait!”

Trixie leant in to get a better look at the purple, sparkling dress offered by the young stallion who was the store assistant. It was hoof-hewn of a particularly soft fabric, so sleek and thin that it was almost transparent. It had stars down the sides, leading all the way down past the flank and into a long, clean tail. It smelled faintly of cinnamon...

“No, too obvious,” said Trixie, brushing the dress aside and turning to look for something more appropriate.

The store assistant groaned and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Oh, get up, drama queen – we've only been through thirty dresses.”

“Is there a problem here?” came a male voice from behind.

Spinning in place, Trixie came face to face with a stallion who could only be the store's manager. “Well, it's about time you showed up!” Trixie scolded him. “Yes, there is a problem. Trixie requires a dress worthy of her Greatness and Power, and so far, she's seen nothing but 'tolerable'.”

“I'm sorry, mister Bow Tie!” pleaded the assistant. “I tried my best!”

The stallion blinked at his employee for a moment, before brushing it off and turning to quirk a brow at Trixie. “Who's Trixie?” he asked.

“Trixie is Trixie, obviously,” said Trixie tiredly. “And, as Trixie just said, she is looking for a garment to impress her date at the dance tonight.”

“Really? Well, you'd be the first one today,” sighed the owner. He looked her up and down, as if sizing her up. “What exactly is it that you're looking for? In what way are you hoping to impress your date?”

Trixie rolled her eyes again at the owner's thickness. “I don't know, impress her. As in 'make a lasting impression' – something she won't forget.”

“A mare, is it?” said the owner. “And does this mare have a favourite colour? A favourite fabric, perhaps?”

Trixie opened her mouth to throw back another annoyed comment, only to catch herself half-way. 'Twilight's favourite colour?'

“Trixie... doesn't know,” she admitted.

“Favourite pattern, then?” the owner suggested. “Favourite scent? Does she prefer long-tailed dresses or short? Do you think she'd appreciate something depicting her cutie mark?”

Trixie gave the floor a lop-sided frown.

The owner breathed a tired sigh. “Alright, maybe you should tell me what she does like. Is there a particular something that makes her happy? A food? A place? Time of day--”

“Trixie is thinking!” she snapped, cutting him off. In the silence that followed, she proceeded to put a hoof to her chin in thought.

'What does Twilight like?' she asked herself. 'What makes her smile?'

Naturally, the first thing to spring to mind was Twilight's gift, two days prior...

'...a-and I started thinking about things that make me smile and then the first thing that came to mind was... You.'

The fresh memory brought warm feelings along with it, and a smile crept onto Trixie's face. In truth, she'd never really stopped thinking about it. Somehow, Twilight Sparkle had found a way to flatter her so utterly and completely that she felt almost... humbled.

“Me. I make her smile,” said Trixie distractedly, even as the memory continued to play through her head...

'You don't have to say anything--'

'Yes, I do,' Trixie interrupted. 'I just... I need some time to think about it... Just... wait. Okay?'

Trixie frowned beside herself. 'Is there really that much to think about?' she wondered.

“Miss?” said the store owner.

“That one,” said Trixie, pointing to the dress on display in the window nearby. It wasn't so much of a proper dress as it was a very simple, revealing saddle-cape combo, but it was perfect.

“...That one?” the owner repeated, raising a brow. “Really? You've been in here all this time, and now you want the one in the window?”

“Trixie will have that one,” she said firmly, shooting him a glare.

He raised his hooves defensively before trotting over to remove said dress from the mannequin on which it rested. “Yes, er, a fine choice, miss. Alright then – that'll be forty bits.”

Trixie blinked at the owner as he carefully flung the garment over his back and turned to smile at her.

“...You expect Trixie to pay for it?”

“Well... yes,” said the owner, sounding puzzled. “I have to make a living, you know.”

“Do you even know who Trixie is?” she asked indignantly.

The owner looked her up and down again, before shaking his head. “Actually, no. I've never heard of you.”

Trixie tutted at him, but smirked all the same. “So clueless,” she said, starting towards the door. “Follow Trixie.”

As she pushed open the door, which led out onto the street, she looked back over her shoulder. The owner raised a brow and shook his head hopelessly, only following after she rolled her eyes and waved him over.

Once they were both outside, Trixie glanced about. As usual, there were dozens of ponies milling up and down the street, and in and out of stores.

Wasting no time, she magically grabbed a wooden crate from the stack near the dress store's entrance and dropped it beside the door. Then, to another quizzical look from the owner, she hopped up onto it, stuck her nose into the air and cleared her throat.

“Attention, Manehattanites and visitors from lands faraway!” she called out, drawing the eyes of many passers-by. “The Great and Powerful Trixie hereby declares this dress store as her favourite in all of the city! Come and see the most fantastic designs this side of Canterlot!”

“What're you doing?” hissed the owner. “Get down from--”

He broke off as those watching the spectacle began to murmur amongst themselves, casting intrigued glances towards his store. And then, one by one, ponies started making their way over, past the two of them and into the store. The first couple were followed by a trio, then another couple...

Bow Tie's jaw dropped, clearly never having seen so many customers at once. Trixie smirked beside herself.

“Well?” she said slyly. “Forty bits, was it?”

A moment's silence – during which four more wealthy-looking ponies trotted inside – then the stallion idly hoofed over the dress. “It's yours,” he mumbled.

“Thank you,” said Trixie with finality, taking it in her magic and hopping down from her box.

Without a backwards glance, she started down the street. Behind her, she could hear Bow Tie revelling in his new customer-base... “W-welcome, welcome! Please, have a look around! Oh, yes, Trixie and I go way back...”

She let out a self-satisfied chuckle. There was something very fulfilling about how that actually worked for once. After winning the Display, of course, she'd probably be able to do that just about anywhere and get away with it.

'Well, that's the dress done with, in any case,' she thought to herself, packing it into her saddlebags. 'Now, I still have a few hours before I need to meet Twilight. And there's just one last thing I need to take care of...'

A sudden self-awareness washed over her, and she found herself picking up the pace. She hoped a few hours would be enough time...

* * *

Twilight Sparkle was a very happy mare indeed. Not only had the boutique had the perfect dress for her on special offer, but the owner had also been kind enough to throw in a pair of saddlebags, a couple of accessories and a coupon to use at the mane salon across the street – which she was saving for later that afternoon. And, as if that wasn't enough, every other pony she passed in the street would offer her a smile or a wave, which did wonders for her already excellent mood.

But most importantly of all, she was going to a dance with Trixie.

She let out a quiet giggle as she trotted down the street. She'd never before understood the meaning of 'giddy as a schoolfilly', having never been one for dates herself, at such a young age. But now, she had a pretty good idea.

There was just one, small problem though, and it was enough to make her smile waver...

Twilight couldn't dance.

Despite her upbringing in Canterlot, she'd never really attended a lot of fancy parties. Her parents weren't ones to drag her along to such things – knowing that she'd be bored stiff without her books – so they usually left her with a foalsitter if ever they had to attend one.

She'd never seen the point in taking the time to learn the skill on her own either – it was a physical thing, which required finesse and dexterity. And Twilight was the first to admit that she was kind of a clumsy pony when it came to that sort of thing, much preferring to use her magic for anything that required such precision.

'Well, better to learn late than never at all,' she reasoned, as she turned the corner leading into the library.

As always, she was pleasantly overwhelmed by the stacks of bookshelves adorning the two floors of the Manehattan library, and the wide lobby in front of her afforded the perfect view of thousands of books all in one place – a marvellous sight. She had precious little time to waste though – since she had to meet Trixie back at the hotel in just under two hours.

So, quickly as she could whilst still marvelling at the plethora of literature around her, she made her way into the aisle marked by a metal plaque engraved with the letter 'D'. Thanks to the masterful organisation skills of the library's designer, the books on dancing were found within seconds.

Twilight restricted herself to four choices – due to time constraints – and spent a good ten minutes making her selections. Once she had what she needed, she carried them with her, up to the study area on the floor above.

It was there, as she turned a corner around a bookshelf, that she beheld a most peculiar sight, at which she performed a double-take. A certain, azure-coated unicorn mare, sitting at one of the study tables with her nose in a book.

“Trixie?” said Twilight, as a pleasantly surprised smile crept onto her face.

The showmare seemed to freeze. Ever so slowly, she lifted her head to look over the rim of her book and meet Twilight's eyes. Her cheeks were red.

In curious silence, Twilight approached the table, scrutinising the strangely familiar cover of the book Trixie held. Trixie herself made no effort to hide said cover – apparently already resigned that Twilight would see it.

'A Filly's Guide to Dancing...'

Twilight's smile became a wide smirk.

“Shut up, Sparkle,” said Trixie, catching sight of it. “We're in a library.”

“I'm not saying anything,” said Twilight merrily, sitting down opposite her and opening her first textbook. She kept her word, and her smile, as she set about the afternoon's study.

* * *

22 - Eyes On You (Twixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-two: Eyes On You

“Are you ready?” came Twilight's voice, muffled by the washroom door that led off from their bedroom.

“Not yet,” said Trixie, who was still fiddling with her magic to get her mane to lay just so. “Two more minutes.”

“Okay, don't rush,” Twilight chirped.

“I'm not rushing,” Trixie grunted. She turned to steal another look at the full-body mirror she'd procured from downstairs.

The azure-coated unicorn looking back at her was as gorgeous as usual, if not more so – what, with the brilliant, white dress fastened around her neck. The clasp was a moon symbol, cut from some manner of blue gem, which led up into a slight collar – not unlike that which adorned her cape. A sleek saddle rested on her back, and from it flowed a shortish, frilled skirt whose hem just about reached the end of her tail.

Much of her front – including her chest and legs – was left exposed, showing off her soft, azure coat. And on her hooves, she wore elegant dance shoes that had a very crystalline look and feel about them.

The only issue with the picture of perfection before her was the mane. She'd decided to exaggerate the dolphin part at its end, but...

“Why won't you lay right?” she hissed, poking at the offending mane with magic again.

“Pardon?” came Twilight's voice.

“Nothing!” said Trixie. “I'm almost done!”

After a moment more fiddling, she finally got it just where she wanted and, quickly as she dared, she fastened it in place with the butterfly hairpin that came with her dress. 'Finally...'

Trixie turned to face the door to the washroom. She had to fight back the primal urge to flick back her mane, instead settling for clearing her throat as she prepared herself.

“Alright. I'm ready,” she declared.

“You are?” said Twilight. “O-okay. I'm coming out.”

The door clicked and began to inch open.

Trixie's breath caught in her throat as her partner stepped out into the bedroom, and her jaw inched open of its own accord as she beheld the dressed-up Twilight Sparkle...

She wore a soft, pink ensemble that literally glistened in the lamp light of the room. Twilight's dress covered most of her body – having a chestpiece that led into her plush saddle and beneath the lengthy skirt that draped down to cover her flank and tail, whilst its hem trailed behind her on the carpet.

The sleeves that would cover her legs were rolled up to the shoulders, and on each hoof she wore a golden slipper that looked a darn sight more comfortable that Trixie's own shoes.

To top it all off, her hair was tied back in an oriental bun – past the blue feather still tucked behind her ear – and held in place by a decorative stick. And on her face she wore a tiny, gentle smile that timidly sought approval.

Trixie could scarcely believe her eyes as she beheld the angel before her.

“You look very beautiful, Twilight Sparkle,” she hummed, finding herself smiling an uncontrollable, though gentle, smile. And never in her life thus far could she remember making a statement more honest or heartfelt.

Twilight's own smile widened sheepishly, and she glanced downwards whilst poking at the carpet with a hoof. “...So do you, Trixie,” she said.

Trixie felt a flash of pride at that, cracking a smirk and flicking back her mane – which mercifully fell back into place afterwards. A moment later though, she went back to staring at Twilight. The lavender mare had always been pretty, and admittedly rather adorable at times, but this was something else entirely... Trixie wanted to savour the moment.

And a very long moment it was, during which the two stood there, staring and smiling at one another in peace and mutual silence. Inevitably though, the moment passed – when Trixie remembered that they had somewhere they needed to be.

“Well, i-it's nearly time,” she managed. “Let's not keep everypony waiting.”

Twilight seemed to blink off a daze of her own, and gave a firm nod. “Mhm.”

* * *

They didn't have to walk all the way to the ballroom – there was a carriage awaiting them outside their hotel. It carried them through the slowly darkening streets of Manehattan, and Twilight found herself shuffling her hooves anxiously during the wait. She went over the dance steps in her mind, as if revising for a test – though the prospect was really more exciting than it was daunting.

By the looks of Trixie, she was excited too, as she was practically leaning forwards to look out of the window. She obviously noticed Twilight looking, because she smiled proudly beside herself, though she didn't turn to look back. Twilight found the urge to roll her eyes strangely underwhelming that evening.

Before long, the carriage came to a steady stop, and one of their drivers hurried around to hold the door open and let them out. Twilight and Trixie exchanged a quick glance before rising together and hopping down onto the pavement.

They found themselves standing at the edge of a wide, stone plaza, protected from the rain by a great canopy overhead. Dozens of other carriages were dotted around the place, from which more and more couples were emerging – and all heading for the large, fancy-looking building up ahead.

“That's our ballroom, then,” said Twilight, smiling at her partner. “Should we go inside?”

“We could stay out here if you wanted,” said Trixie casually. “It might get a little cold later on though...”

Twilight gave a mock frown and playfully bumped into Trixie's side. “Don't make fun of me.”

Trixie let out a quiet chuckle and bumped her back before starting towards the Ballroom door. “I have to make fun of somepony,” she called back. “And you happen to be my favourite.”

“Oh, lucky me,” huffed Twilight, smiling beside herself as she caught up to her partner.

Together, they took the steps and drew up to the huge door, outside which a pair of smartly-dressed stallions bowed them inside.

The door opened into a grand, red-carpeted entrance hall, brightly lit by a fancy chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Gold and silver tapestries adorned the curved walls, meeting the carpets and standing out against the darker railings on the staircases which flanked the outer part of the room. The whole place practically shone...

Directly ahead of Twilight and Trixie was another door, which everypony else seemed to be heading towards. If the golden, engraved plaque above the door was any indication, it led into the main ballroom.

As they made towards it though, another smartly-dressed stallion approached from the side and bowed his head. “Pardon me,” he said. “Miss Twilight Sparkle and Miss Trixie, I presume?”

Twilight flashed him an uncertain smile. “Um, yes, that's us.”

The stallion lifted his head up and held his nose high. “Delighted that you could make it. Now, if you'll allow me, I shall escort you up to the VIP room.”

“...We're VIPs?” said Twilight dumbly.

“Of course we're VIPs,” said Trixie, holding her nose higher than the stallion's. “Yes, you may show us up if you wish.”

“As you say, m'lady,” said the stallion. He bowed once more before heading for the staircase and beginning the climb, with Twilight and Trixie lagging just a little behind.

Twilight found herself glancing around at the lobby's decorations as they climbed towards the second floor landing. It was actually kind of hard to keep herself busy, being as anxious as she was about the dance.

“It's exciting, isn't it?” she said to Trixie. “A ball... and as VIPs as well.”

Trixie raised a brow at her. “You say that as if you've never been to one before.”

“I haven't,” said Twilight. “This is actually my first.”

“Your first?” Trixie repeated, raising the other brow. “You were the Princess' student for how long? You must've been to all sorts of events like this.”

Twilight adopted a sheepish smile. “Well, she did invite me to things like this a number of times... but I was never really interested.”

“Let me guess – you went to the library instead?” said Trixie, deadpan.

“Well... yeah.”

Trixie let out a smiling huff. “At least you're consistent.”

“Hey!” hissed Twilight, bumping Trixie again. The showmare just giggled to herself.

“Here we are, m'ladies,” said their guide, coming to a stop outside the double door on the second floor landing. He bowed his head one last time, using his magic to hold the door open for them. “Please, enjoy your evening.”

“We will. Thank you,” said Twilight, in passing.

As she and Trixie stepped inside, they were met with a plethora of sights and sounds from all around them. The ballroom was thriving with well-dressed party goers, all chatting, laughing and drinking together to a gentle tune played by the four-pony band in the far corner.

On one side of the room was an open bar, at which a coif-maned stallion was serving drinks to a row of thirsty patrons. On the opposite side, dozens of small, round tables were arranged for ponies to chat and relax around. And at the very back of the room – before the band's raised platform – was a wide dance floor which, for the moment, was all but empty.

“I guess we're not that important after all,” Trixie grunted, surveying the scene as the door closed behind them. “There must be a hundred ponies in here.”

Twilight took a few steps forward and smiled beside herself as she took in the relaxed atmosphere. Having been to so many of Pinkie Pie's rather more 'energetic' parties over the last few months, it was a refreshing change.

“I like it,” she observed. “So... what do we do? There aren't many ponies dancing yet...”

“They won't be, until later on,” said Trixie, as she came up alongside. “Everypony will be mingling with the other guests while they wait for the rest to arrive.”

“Oh, okay,” said Twilight. She looked over at the tables, and at the throngs of posh-looking ponies surrounding them, many of whom seemed to be holding a competition to see who could hold their nose the highest for the longest time...

She caught an expectant look from Trixie. “Well?” said the showmare.

Twilight curled her lip and glanced towards the bar. “I... think I'd better get a drink first, if that's alright.”

Trixie smirked.

* * *

Mingling with the other party guests was not nearly as enjoyable as Trixie had expected. Almost everypony she and Twilight engaged in conversation were quick to offer congratulations – or at least acknowledgement – for their efforts in the Display, but beyond that, they were really very boring, snobbish ponies...

“And what, if I may be so bold as to ask, was your inspiration for that splendid fire spell yesterday?” droned a middle-aged mare wearing dreary, half-moon spectacles.

“Oh, that amazing feat of magic?” said Trixie humbly, closing her eyes and waving a hoof. “It was really very easy for somepony of Trixie's calibre. Trixie simply drew inspiration from her partner, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight offered a sheepish smile as Trixie gestured towards her.

“Indeed,” said the snobby mare's date – a tall stallion whose eyes seemed to be almost glued shut. “And was it real fire that you used for that torrent?”

“Oh, no, of course not,” said Twilight helpfully. “If we used real fire, we would've been burnt to a crisp!”

“I see...” said the stallion, stealing a glance at his partner.

“Well, we wish you good luck for tomorrow,” said the dreary mare. “Come along, darling – I believe I saw cousin Posh Penny over by that table.”

“Quite.”

Snouts high, the posh pair broke off and disappeared, intermingling with the other nearby guests.

Trixie let out a heavy sigh and leant back against the wall, levitating her drink to her lips. “Trixie has never met anyone as wholly boring as these ponies in her life,” she groaned. “What time is it? Trixie wants to go to bed.”

“It's only eight-thirty,” said Twilight, sipping at her own drink. “And you can turn off Trixie-lock now – it's just the two of us.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” said Trixie.

Twilight managed a smile, but not quite a giggle, as she looked out over the dance floor. Judging by her lack of humour and the pensive look in her eyes, she was obviously feeling just as dull and bored as Trixie was.

Trixie followed her gaze to the dance floor, where many more ponies were dancing now, as they had been for the past half hour or so. Among them, she spotted some of their fellow competitors – Earth Twister danced with a younger mare, whilst his brother, Sandstorm, was prancing around with Cherry Blossom. Her partner, Bay Dasher, seemed to be following Twilight and Trixie's example in leaning against the wall with his drink, and watching idly.

Naturally, one pair of dancers in particular stood out amongst the rest... Flaire and Rose were performing an encore of their performance from the Display – less the magic, of course – to the amazement of their onlookers. He wore naught but a bow tie – obviously keen to show off his coat – whilst she wore yet another glistening one-piece – red this time – of which she probably had dozens in her supermodel wardrobe.

'I'm not jealous,' Trixie reminded herself. 'I gave him up years ago. He's not my problem anymore.'

Catching a worried look from Twilight, Trixie was quick to clear her mind and 'change the subject'.

“That was my idea, you know,” she said, with a nod towards Flaire and Rose. “The... 'magic dance', I mean. I came up with it back when we were little.”

“O-oh, is that so?” said Twilight, amiably perking up an ear.

Trixie nodded and paused to sip her drink, whilst Flaire performed an eye-catching flourish in the middle of the dance floor. It drew an excited murmur from his little audience, and left a sour taste in Trixie's mouth.

“We never got around to actually using it,” she continued. “Neither of us could dance back then, and it was really just a silly idea to begin with.”

“Um... right,” said Twilight carefully.

“...I still can't believe he stole it though,” Trixie growled, with a faint glare. “Just goes to show how much of a jerk he is, I guess.”

The two of them watched in silence as Flaire and Rose continued their routine and the music score began to draw to an end. Steps and slides, twists and spins, before finally finishing with an exaggerated twirl – landing in a bow to one another, just as the music ceased.

Flaire's small audience gave him a round of applause, drawing more eyes from across the room in his direction. The very moment he and his partner stepped off of the dance floor, they were swamped by a throng of interested party goers – including, Trixie noticed, those two dreary ponies that had been talking to her just moments ago.

Trixie scoffed. “He always did that, too.”

“Did what?” Twilight asked around her glass.

“That,” said Trixie, nodding towards the crowd around Flaire. “His 'audience'. Seriously, whenever he was around, everypony was so busy soaking him up that they wouldn't so much as bat an eyelash at me... not unless he reminded them to...”

She trailed off and her gaze softened a little as she watched the grin on his face.

“I guess he did though, sometimes,” she continued, in a mutter. “He'd remind ponies to cheer for me as well – since he 'wouldn't have been able to do it without me'... Maybe he did think of me as more than an assistant--”

Flaire laughed at somepony's joke, and Trixie immediately shook her head to refocus herself. “Or maybe it's a mixture of the wine and your positive attitude rubbing off on me. I'd say that's more likely.”

Neither her smirk nor her self-preying joke drew so much as a smile from Twilight. Instead, the lavender mare just stared at her with a thoughtful frown.

“Trixie...” she breathed. “That's why you don't like him?”

Feeling a little uncomfortable under that look, Trixie turned her eyes to her glass and shrugged 'casually'. “Besides him being a jerk in general, yes,” she said, sipping from her drink.

Twilight's frown deepened. “I-I didn't... I never meant to make you feel that way, Trixie. When I was talking to him, I was never ignoring you--”

“I know, Twilight. I do,” said Trixie reassuringly. “You don't have to worry about that, especially after... you know...”

She trailed off, not quite sure how to refer to the 'event' two days past – when Twilight had given her the mirror. 'Confession' was such an... implicating word.

In any case, Twilight obviously understood what she was talking about, because she suddenly seemed too embarrassed to hold Trixie's gaze. For her part, Trixie suddenly became aware of what she'd just brought into the conversation. And also, conveniently, that her glass was empty...

“I'm going to get another drink,” she announced, again feigning at 'casual'. “Shall I get you one as well?”

Twilight glanced up at Trixie, then down at her own glass – which was almost empty – before finally meeting the showmare's eyes. “Oh, um, yes please,” she said, summoning up a smile that said she was just as glad to be shot of the topic as Trixie was.

So, feeling slightly relieved – and somewhat anxious – Trixie turned and started towards the bar...

* * *

Twilight smiled thoughtfully at the tail of her partner's dress as Trixie slinked away across the room. She couldn't help thinking to herself that Trixie and Flaire were still very much of an enigma...

He tried to one-up her when they performed, but he didn't mean anything by it. She was jealous of the attention he got, though he tried to share it with her. She hated him, and yet there was still part of her that saw him as her big brother... her old partner.

“Siblings are complicated,” Twilight sighed, sipping at her drink and idly wondering what would happen between them after the Display. Only time would tell, she supposed.

“You're looking particularly dazzling tonight.”

Twilight jumped as she turned to the source of the voice – a certain, green-coated stallion standing right beside her.

“Oh, Flaire! You startled me,” she said, breathing an embarrassed sigh of relief. Registering the compliment, she brushed an impulsive hoof past her fringe. “Um, thank you. A-and that's a very, um... dapper bow-tie you're wearing...”

Flaire laughed quietly. “Thank you. I couldn't find anything else to wear on such short notice. I'm sure I've been the target of a few unsavoury comments tonight,” he added in a joking undertone.

Twilight allowed him a smile, though her gaze instinctively darted across the room towards Trixie. The showmare was still standing in the long line at the bar, tapping her hoof and fiddling with her neck clasp.

“U-um, where's your partner?” said Twilight, turning to face Flaire again.

“Oh, she's over on the dance floor somewhere,” he said, looking over towards it as he spoke. “We met a gentlecolt who asked her for a dance. Fancy Pants, he said his name was. Lovely chap.”

“Oh, I see...”

“And Trixie?” said Flaire.

“Just over there, getting us some drinks,” Twilight indicated.

Flaire stared over at Trixie for a long moment, with a thoughtful look on his face. “I see,” he muttered. “Well then, I suppose we'll just have to keep each other company for a while.”

Twilight adopted a nervous sort of smile and pretended interest in her wine glass. “Um, sure...”

“I'm really not that bad, you know,” he said, in a light-hearted tone. “Although I do believe I owe you something of an apology – for what happened after the second event.”

“Mm?” Twilight grunted, looking up at him questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“It looked as though I got you into a spot of trouble with Trixie,” he went on. “When I asked you to help me regain her trust. If I'd known she would yell at you--”

Twilight shook her head, understanding. “Oh, no, don't worry about that. Once I explained what I was trying to do, she understood. Although she was a bit grumpy the next day.”

“Really?” said Flaire, raising his eyebrows. “She just... forgave you. Just like that?”

“Really,” Twilight confirmed with a smile and a nod. A glance over at Trixie later, she found a funny thought crossing her mind. “You know, rather than you apologising, I think I should be thanking you. There was something I should've said to her a long time ago, and if she hadn't been in such a bad mood that day, I might never have done it...”

“Is that right?” said Flaire, angling his head towards Trixie for a moment, before resuming his smile at Twilight. “You two certainly have an interesting relationship. But then, I suppose all relationships are interesting in their own way, aren't they?”

Twilight let out a slight grunt and smiled at her glass again. “I... wouldn't really know,” she mumbled.

Her ears caught wind of a new score starting up from the band – this one heavy on the violin, and starting at a reasonable pace, rather than being particularly slow or upbeat.

“And, on that note...” muttered Flaire.

Twilight turned to him with an expectant look, to find him smiling that particular, charming smile at her. He extended a hoof towards her...

“Twilight Sparkle, would you honour me with a dance?” he said smoothly.

Her mouth fell open a little.

'He's asking me to dance?' she mused in disbelief. 'But... nopony's ever asked me to dance before...'

As well as having never been to an official ball before – as she'd told Trixie earlier – Twilight had never actually had a formal dance with anypony. Tonight was going to be her first.

She stared at the proffered hoof, biting her lip uncertainly as the music picked up volume, and more and more couples began making their way onto the dance floor. Flaire was still smiling patiently, not making a move either way. It was down to her.

She glanced sideways at Trixie. The showmare was still three or four places from the front of the line now... there'd be plenty of time for a quick dance before she was served.

But that thought was quick to make its way to the back of her mind as she stared at her bored partner in the line. Trixie had given up on fiddling with her clasp, and was now simply tapping her forehoof impatiently against the carpeted floor. Moments passed, before she rolled her head backwards with her eyes closed. She let out a huff, which – although Twilight couldn't actually hear it – seemed to carry across the entire room.

Half-smiling to herself, Twilight made her decision.

“...No, thank you, Flaire,” she said, smiling wider as the words left her mouth. “There's only one pony I want to dance with tonight.”

Her response was met with silence, but she hardly noticed, and didn't much care – as she was still staring at Trixie. Her perfectly brushed mane, her immodest but lovely dress, her typically impatient demeanour...

“In fact,” said Twilight, coming to an even more excited decision. “Would you hold this for me?” She turned to Flaire and magically proffered her glass to him.

Flaire, for once, seemed to have lost a little of his cool demeanour – he blinked and mouthed for a moment at the glass. “Er... yes, of course,” he said, taking it from her.

With a beaming smile and not a single look back, Twilight swept away from him and strode determinedly across the room, towards the line at the bar.

“Trixie!” she called out as she drew near.

The showmare turned at her name, looking surprised when she saw Twilight right behind her. “Yes?”

Without so much as a moment's hesitation, Twilight smiled with confidence and extended a hoof towards her partner...

“Will you dance with me?” she asked.

Trixie's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open a smidge – the spitting image of Twilight a moment ago. She stared down at Twilight's hoof, then back at her eyes and the welcoming expression on her face.

Twilight tilted her head cutely.

A smile tugged at Trixie's lips.

To Twilight's delight, Trixie reached out and took the hoof, bringing a beaming grin to the bookish mare's face.

* * *

The next thing she knew, Trixie found herself following an excited Twilight onto the dance floor, squeezing between the dozens of other pairs and trying to find an empty spot. She was still reeling a little from the surprise proposition... admittedly, she wasn't quite sure why she'd accepted, given her past experiences with trying to dance.

Even so, as she trailed the hem of her partner's dress through the crowd, she couldn't deny the quiet sense of excitement in the back of her mind.

Finally, they came to an emptyish space between several other pairs, at which point Twilight stopped, and turned to face Trixie with an expectant smile. On some kind of weird impulse, Trixie lifted her previously injured hoof and drew back a little – half-wanting to mouth a protest to leading, but finding herself unable to do so.

Twilight, though, picked up on it one way or the other. By way of taking the lead, she placed a prepared hoof down on the ground before Trixie, just as the musical score began to move into its second verse.

Trixie hesitated for a moment more, before steadily lowering her own hoof and placing it across from her partner's. She looked up at Twilight in question, and received a smile in response.

Together, they dragged their hooves diagonally back to themselves, then alternated to the other forehooves and repeated the motion in time with the music. Gradually at first, they began to pick up the pace, and Trixie found herself nodding slightly to help her keep pace with the tune.

As the music crescendoed, Twilight angled towards her, then took a step forwards and to the side. Trixie mimicked her, stepping clockwise and taking care not to stand on Twilight's dress. Twilight took another step. So did Trixie. After two more, they managed to find time with each other, and began circling steadily. It was reassuring to see that Twilight, at least, seemed to know what she was doing.

When the tune switched up an octave, everypony around them switched directions. So, naturally, Trixie made to do the same – though she was a little late...

She bumped her head against Twilight's, and they both let out a surprised grunt as they stumbled backwards. Blinking the dizzy haze from her eyes, Trixie caught Twilight rubbing her forehead.

An embarrassed and angry sort of heat welled up in her chest, but vanished just as quickly as Twilight cracked a timid smile. She proffered her hoof again.

Shaking it off, Trixie cleared her throat, stepped forwards and took the hoof, beginning to sidestep around Twilight and keeping their gazes locked this time. She started picking up signals from Twilight's eyes and lips – telling her when and where to move...

Step. Step. Step. Switch hooves...

Twilight moved a little too quickly and stumbled, as did Trixie in turn. They collided with another pair, disrupting their dance...

“Oh my, I'm terribly sorry,” said the blue-haired stallion Trixie had staggered into. Beside him, none other than Flaire's partner, Desert Rose, was regaining her balance as well.

Fighting back her embarrassment, Trixie glared at the stallion. “B-be more careful!” she growled.

“Yes, of course, please forgive me,” he said, bowing his head.

Desert Rose herself seemed to have no comment. In fact, the moment she'd recovered, she just flashed them both a smile and grabbed her partner by the fetlock, pulling him away to continue their dance.

Trixie took a breath and turned to face Twilight again. She was still smiling. They gave it another shot...

Sidestep. Sidestep. Backstep. Forestep. Break apart...

They did, without error.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Switch direction...

Trixie missed the signal and stepped again whilst Twilight changed direction, throwing them off tune. She tried to correct. Twilight did the same. They scrambled with each other for a moment, before finally bumping heads again, tripping over one another's dresses and collapsing spectacularly onto the wooden floor.

The flushed heat returned to Trixie's chest, and her face, all too quickly, and the dams broke a moment later. She viciously pushed herself to her hooves and shook her head, scowling to hide her embarrassment as she turned away. “I'm done,” she hissed, starting to stomp away amidst the amused glances of the other dancers.

She left Twilight on the floor behind her, but she'd gone little more than two steps before stopping as she caught Flaire's eyes across the room. He was standing by the wall, holding a wine glass and watching her with a mocking smirk of his own. He raised his glass to her...

She could only mouth at him – finding herself genuinely taken aback and too ashamed of herself to even summon up the customary glare she held reserved for him. She thought back to his flawless dance with Rose. She became doubly aware of those not dancing who were chuckling or pointing at her. She remembered the lavender mare on the floor behind her...

Closing her eyes, Trixie took a steadying breath. When she opened them again, she fixed Flaire with a solid look, before starting back towards Twilight – who still looked thoroughly dazed.

Trixie stared down at her for a long moment. Then, slowly, she reached out to help her up.

Twilight blinked rapidly and glanced at Trixie's hoof, then at her eyes, with her mouth part open.

It was Trixie's turn to offer a warm smile.

And Twilight's to accept the hoof.

* * *

An hour later, the dance floor was still, as the band began their slow introduction to the next score. In the very centre of the floor stood two unicorn mares, smiling with confidence as they stared into one another's eyes.

The loud, upbeat tune started.

The two mares crossed their hooves on the ground, pulled them back and crossed the others. Again, and again, then they stepped to opposite sides and started to circle at quarter angles.

Step. Step. Switch direction. Step. Step. Step. Switch...

They twirled in perfect unison, whipping each others' manes back with the wind as they brushed past one another.

A few more circling steps, then they turned to face each other properly.

Twilight stepped forwards, Trixie stepped back.

Trixie stepped forwards, Twilight stepped back.

Trixie, Twilight. Twilight, Trixie...

They twirled around in countered directions, flourishing perfectly and landing facing each other. Other dancers were deliberately moving back to give them more room...

Eyes locked and still smiling, they stepped inwards again, until their snouts touched. They turned, keeping their noses together, circling around one way, then the other.

They came to a stop. Trixie flourished again with the music's next crescendo – whirling masterfully and whipping the hem of her dress past her partner's ears. When she landed, Twilight mimicked her, sending a sparkling pink past her eyes.

She landed. They drew themselves up onto their hindlegs, touching hooves as well as snouts now. And, as the music reached its climaxing note, Twilight and Trixie softly pushed one another apart, until they were stood – perfectly balanced – at arms' length.

The seconds' long silence that followed was nothing short of serene, until a gentle wave of approving claps came from nearby.

Turning their heads together, Twilight and Trixie beheld a group of onlookers, muttering, smiling and clapping in their direction. A few of the other dancers actually joined in the little applause.

The two mares met one another's eyes again, with wide, prideful smiles on their faces.

* * *

It was late. The night had long since begun to wind down, and the band was playing a very soft, relaxed tune. Not many ponies were still dancing now, but that was of little notice to the two mares waltzing steadily on their hindlegs, each hopelessly lost in the other's eyes.

Twilight Sparkle found herself in the most wonderful of steads – her entire world was standing right in front of her, reflected in Trixie's glimmering, violet eyes. Every now and then, they would take a step, as one, but beyond that, there was simply nothing else. Twilight couldn't remember a time when she'd felt more at peace.

'How long have we been dancing like this?' she idly wondered. 'Minutes? Hours? I guess it doesn't really matter. If this was forever, I don't think I'd mind...'

It was a nice notion, but ridiculously romantic, and she couldn't stop her mind from adding a 'but...' to the end of that thought.

“We're coming to the end, aren't we?” she asked, at more or less a whisper. Her voice sounded a little hoarse, from not speaking in so long, but it was barely noticeable...

“Yes, we are,” Trixie muttered back.

“...I'm not sure I want it to end,” Twilight confessed. “Not this night. Not the Display--”

'Not us,' her mind filled in.

Trixie gave a tiny smirk as they swayed to one side. “You're not sure?”

Twilight blinked and smiled faintly at her partner's soft tone. “Okay, I am sure,” she whispered. “I don't want it to end.”

“Everything has to end sometime, Twilight,” said Trixie gently. “If I could magically make it last longer, I would... but it's out of my hooves.”

Twilight angled her head and smiled warmly. “I know you would...” She paused and focused on those eyes for a moment, before speaking up again. “Then let's enjoy tonight while we can. Everything else can wait until tomorrow, right?”

Trixie smiled too, but her gaze fell regretfully to Twilight's chest. “Not everything,” she said.

“Hmm?” grunted Twilight, tilting her head a little. “What do you mean?”

“...I have a confession to make,” said Trixie, keeping her slightly ashamed eyes locked on Twilight's chest now.

Twilight's mouth inched open, but she didn't flush this time. As they were now, she felt so intimately close to Trixie that no words could possibly embarrass her. The disturbing thought was that they might well affect her in other ways...

“You don't have to say anything,” Twilight told her, amidst a strange sense of déjà vu.

Trixie shook her head softly. “I promised that I would.”

“But it can wait,” said Twilight. Even though her voice was quiet, it came with a hint of desperation. “Please... just, let's have tonight. It can wait until tomorrow.”

“...I'm sorry, but it can't,” Trixie muttered.

Twilight felt a worried frown coming to her face as Trixie looked up and met her eyes. There was something ominous about the unsmiling expression on the showmare's face.

“I have nothing to say, Twilight,” breathed Trixie, solemn-faced. “I thought about it, but there's absolutely nothing I can say after everything you showed me that day. I... I'm sorry...”

They were still waltzing, ever so slowly, to the gentle music, but Twilight couldn't help but feel as if there was some tiny void opening up between them. Had she been wrong? Was this not what she thought it was?

“Trixie, I...” She trailed off. She had absolutely no idea of what to say, if she was even supposed to say anything at all. “So... what happens now?” she asked croakily, fearing the answer as much as anticipating it.

Trixie gulped visibly. “Now...” she began, staring long into Twilight's eyes. “...I'm going to kiss you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight let out a quiet breath as she felt the words tighten in her chest. She became aware of her own heartbeat, of her steady breathing and the silence of her surroundings. Trixie's face hovered a head tilt away as she waited, and her glistening eyes sought a response...

“...Okay,” said Twilight.

All at once as the life-changing word left her mouth, her heart slowed, her breathing stopped, and the world around her faded away. Trixie's face drew closer. Her lips parted. Her eyes began to droop. Twilight let her own eyes fall shut as Trixie's warm presence overcame her.

And then their lips met.

The feeling was like no other. Relief, elation, pride, joy... all at once and yet nothing at all. It was perfect harmony – like all the magic and wonder in the world was poured into a single, everlasting moment between the two of them.

With time standing still and no world to pull them back, the two mares shared their embrace for a near-forever. Maybe it would end. Maybe it wouldn't. Twilight Sparkle didn't care. She and Trixie were sharing the most amazing kind of magic she'd ever felt, and nothing in the universe mattered more to her.

* * *

23 - Closing Thoughts (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-three: Closing Thoughts

Trixie's eyes drifted open the following morning to come face-to-face with the silken wall of midnight blue and purple-pink highlights that was the back of Twilight Sparkle's mane. Her forelegs were wrapped around the lavender unicorn's sleeping form, and she could feel the slow, gentle rhythm of Twilight's breathing, second to the comfortable warmth of her body. Needless to say, Trixie awoke with a smile.

Still very much dreamy as she was, she gently drew a hoof back along Twilight's side and lifted it up to stroke her mane. Twilight had removed the bun before turning in, so her hair was back to its usual, neat straightness, and Trixie could run her touch along its length without a care in the world – simply enjoying its softness and hoping that Twilight felt the same warmth that she was feeling right now.

Twilight let out a grunt – a quiet, content sort of grunt. It was almost a shame to have woken her, but the sight of her sleepy face as she rolled over was more than worth it. She lifted her eyes open half-way, and met Trixie with a smile of her own.

“Good morning,” Twilight whispered.

Trixie wasn't sure whether she was quite awake enough to speak yet, so, just to be safe, she opted for the next best thing. She closed the tiny gap between them and planted a soft, sweet kiss on Twilight's lips.

It was the easiest, most tiny little gesture she could think of, and yet it felt more powerful than a dozen longer touches. She felt the tender smile on Twilight's lips even before she pulled back and opened her eyes.

“Good morning, Twilight,” she whispered back.

They stared at one another for a long moment, before Twilight moved in and nuzzled up against Trixie's chest, closing her eyes and exhaling in comfort. Trixie rested her head atop her partner's and closed her eyes too. There was no need to get up just yet...

* * *

They cuddled for much of the morning, though it finally came to an end when Twilight needed to get up to use the bathroom. After that, it wasn't long before Trixie was up on her hooves as well, tidying her mane and checking herself over in her mirror. The smile never left her face for a second – never before had she woken feeling so content as this.

It was already ten o'clock by the time they went down for breakfast in the dining hall, just off of the lobby. They'd eaten in there before, though never so late in the morning, and it seemed a lot busier now, by comparison. The dozens of different-sized tables dotted around the hall were so full that it might've been a challenge to find an empty one if not for the waiter that met them at the door.

He showed them to a table in the far corner of the room and brought their breakfast salads over a few minutes later, leaving them to eat. Trixie wasn't particularly hungry, so she took little more than an idle mouthful before looking across at her partner.

Twilight glanced up from her bowl and smiled, still chewing her way through her mouthful. They stared at one another in silence for a moment, until Twilight swallowed and spoke up.

“Hey, um... I wanted to say thank you,” she said, “for sharing the bed with me last night. It... meant a lot.”

Trixie rolled her eyes lightly. “Shouldn't I be the one thanking you? It is your bed, after all.”

“Hmm...” Twilight frowned down at the table, as if she was genuinely thinking about it. Then, after a moment, she smirked and met Trixie's eye again. “Yeah, maybe you should be.”

Trixie'd been going to leave it at that, until she saw the nervy, expectant look on Twilight's face. Trixie scoffed and found a smirk of her own. “Thank you for letting me share your bed, Twilight Sparkle.”

With a satisfied giggle, Twilight took another forkful of her salad and turned to the side, looking out across the hall. Trixie followed her gaze. A few tables along, Nightshade and Violet were eating their own breakfast. And a few tables along from them sat Earth Twister and Sandstorm.

“Looks like everypony's eating late today,” said Twilight idly.

“Or taking longer to eat,” Trixie observed, watching the normally-upbeat Earth Twister eat his silent way through his meal. “It looks like they're all on edge – probably anxious about the results.”

Twilight grunted. “That makes sense, I guess.”

Trixie frowned as she looked across at Twilight, who was wearing an unreadable expression. “Are you okay?” Trixie asked.

There was a short pause before Twilight flashed her a bright smile. “Of course. I've never been better.”

Trixie couldn't help but smile at the simple statement. It was a typical something that everypony heard all the time – 'I've never been better.' But, somehow, she knew that Twilight really meant it. She never had been better, and that was exactly how Trixie felt, waking up beside her that morning.

“I suppose you still have that good feeling, then?” said Trixie, idly digging at her salad with her fork.

Twilight nodded brightly. “That's right,” she chirped.

Still smiling and keeping her eyes on Twilight all the while, Trixie raised the fork to her lips. “...Good,” she said.

* * *

Fireworks exploded in the air overhead as the ten competitors made their way out into the arena under the midday sun. Two rows of trumpet-bearers flanked them as they marched through the open portcullis, and horn blasts filled the air along with the approving roar of the audience, many of whom stood and waved down at the ponies entering the field.

Trixie walked near the front of the group, with her cape trailing out behind her and with an immodest smirk on her lips. She couldn't so much as bring herself to feel anxious. It all came down to this, but, like Twilight, she had a good feeling – especially after having one-upped Flaire with the dance last night.

'I've beaten him this time,' she told herself, smirking wider. 'With Twilight backing me up, he never stood a chance.'

Twilight herself strode alongside, wearing a proud smile instead of a smirk, but otherwise looking just as confident as Trixie felt. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a quick, knowing glance before turning to face ahead again.

In the centre of the arena, Princess Celestia stood tall and graceful, from whom Trixie received a flattering smile. The Princess overshadowed a unicorn stallion – with a light brown coat and a short, dark mane – who had one forehoof perched on a small, wooden chest.

This stallion wore a particularly cheesy grin, and as the five pairs of competitors approached, he levitated a microphone from behind his back and raised it to his mouth.

“Welcome! Welcome all of you!” he said, and his voice echoed out through the stadium. There was no mistaking that accent – this was the announcer that had been commentating their performances throughout the Display.

Trixie and Twilight stopped a respectful distance away from him and the Princess, and the other competitors lined up alongside.

“Well, it's been quite the Display this year, folks,” the announcer continued. “We've had the excitement of chimaera wrangling, the drama of the pillar climb and, of course, those spectacular magical performances, hoof-crafted by our competitors themselves. But, alas, we've finally come to the end.”

He hung his head in mock sorrow for a moment, before raising it up and grinning widely again. “But one thing remains!” he said. “The placings for each pair have been decided, and we have the exciting matter of crowning our victors yet to come. And while I'm sure I could ramble for hours about all the highlights and dramatic moments we've had thus far, I think you'd all much rather hear the results, am I right?”

This was met with an approving clap from the audience, as well as a shuffling from the competitors' line, as they prepared for the news. Trixie cast a smirk sideways at Flaire, who stood at the opposite end of the line. He caught it and smirked back, apparently unaware of his imminent humiliation. That suited Trixie just fine...

“Well, alright then!” chuckled the announcer. He stepped off of the chest, magically opened it up and proffered it to the Princess. “Princess Celestia, if you would.”

“Thank you, Broadcast,” said Celestia warmly. Her horn lit up a brilliant yellow, and she magically reached into the chest to retrieve a pair of copper medallions, along with a slip of paper. She lifted her head a little, to address the stadium as a whole...

“In fifth place--”

Trixie cringed at the sudden volume of the Princess' voice. She hadn't used the microphone, but still her words echoed out across the entire place.

“--Most notable for their unique and wonderful performance in the third event, I am pleased to announce that Nightshade and Violet are the winners of the copper medallion.”

A polite sort of clap spread throughout the stands, though the pair in question didn't seem too satisfied with it. Nightshade hung his head and frowned deeply, whilst Violet gave him a long, apologetic stare.

The Princess smiled patiently at them, whilst the announcer, Broadcast, beckoned them forwards. Violet nuzzled her partner's neck. He looked at her, cracked a tiny smile, and together they shuffled forwards to receive their medals.

They both bowed their heads before the Princess and allowed her to slip the prizes around their necks.

“Do not despair, you two,” said Celestia quietly. “Your performance here displayed an impressive level of both talent and determination. These things will take you far, so long as you do not give up.”

The two ebon-coated ponies stood in awe of the Princess' kind words, and each offered a quiet mumbling of thanks before moving along to one side – to start a line next to Broadcast. Trixie cast a long, pensive look at Celestia.

'They lost,' she mused. 'I can't imagine... But the Princess is right – giving up is pointless. I wouldn't give up if I lost.

...If I lost.'

A frown crossed her face, but she promptly shook it off as the audience gave another polite clap for Nightshade and Violet. Waiting only for them to take their places, Broadcast offered the chest to Celestia again. From it, she withdrew another slip of paper and two more medallions – this time bronze.

“In fourth place, we have what is no doubt our most diverse couple this year!” said the Princess. “Let us applaud for Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom!”

Applaud they did, and considerably loudly – probably thanks to the Princess being the one that asked. True to form, Cherry Blossom was as cheery as ever, and Bay Dasher held his stern expression as they approached the Princess. 'Diverse' was not the word Trixie would have used to describe them.

“Thank you all for being such a wonderful audience!” Cherry Blossom bade, overpowering the announcer's magic and seizing hold of the microphone. “We hope you all enjoyed our performances this year, and we'd also like to remind you all of the Manehattan Flower Festival coming up next month! Make sure to get your tickets early to avoid disappointment, and volunteers are always welcome!”

With a sickeningly sweet smile, she passed the mic over to her partner, who drew himself up and eyed it warily. He leaned in. “Bay Dasher returns now to his bakery,” he said, in an appropriately gruff voice. “Where he will bake sweet buns and tasty treats. I pity the fool that does not come and get a free sample next Wednesday. Hmph!”

This announcement was met with a momentary, stunned silence, followed by a much louder applause.

Princess Celestia actually let out a warm chuckle at that, as the pair returned the microphone and bowed their heads before her. She spoke to them as she presented their medals, but Trixie couldn't make out the words over all the clapping.

Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom took their places beside Nightshade and Violet, whilst the next pair of medallions – made of a shining silver – were lifted from the chest.

“For their domination of the pillar climb event, as well as their overall impressive performances during the others, I hereby announce Earth Twister and Sandstorm as winners of third place!”

Trixie couldn't help but cast a glance at them as the applause started up. Twister grunted an “Ah,” and kicked the ground lightly. He didn't seem too put out though, because he and his brother exchanged a smile straight afterwards, and started forwards.

Just as those before them, Twister and Sandstorm bowed before the Princess and accepted their medals. “Congratulations to both of you,” she bade. “You've shown a unique discipline in your use of magic here, something that is quite rare among unicorns your age. You might bear in mind that the Canterlot Guard are always looking for gifted magic users, if such a thing strikes your fancy.”

Having received their words and spoken their thanks, the two joined the line with the others. And as they did so, the stadium steadily fell into expectant silence.

Now, only two pairs – and two placings – remained. Two triumphant winners, two humiliated losers.

'No,' Trixie corrected herself. 'This is personal. There's only going to be one humiliated loser – and that's either Flaire... or me.'

Her smirk had long since faded from her face now. She felt herself beginning to waver. The silence in the stadium was absolute, and it served to remind her that there was nothing she could do now to influence the result.

She'd done her best, and her best was amazing. But, from a third pony's view, was her best better than his best?

“Can you feel that tension in the air, fillies and gentlecolts?” said the announcer, speaking into his microphone again. “I know I can! Only four competitors remain – all winners in my book – but only two will walk away with the platinum medallions, and the title of Champions of the Manehattan Display.”

The announcer grinned between the four of them for a moment, before striding forwards towards Flaire and Rose. Trixie's heart jumped into her throat.

“Do you have anything you'd like to say to your rivals before the announcement?” he asked, offering the microphone. “Some fighting words, perhaps?”

Trixie let out a silently relieved breath.

Flaire exchanged a glance with his partner and gave quiet chuckle. “No fighting words,” he said. “But I would like to say that it's been an exciting experience to compete against such talented unicorns as you, Twilight and Trixie--” He flashed them a smile. “--Thank you for an exhilarating competition.”

This drew a round of applause from the audience, and a forcibly suppressed smile from Twilight. Trixie herself bit her tongue.

“Well, what a nice sentiment,” said the announcer, trotting over to stand beside Twilight and Trixie next. “And have you anything to say in return, fillies?”

He extended the microphone to Twilight, whose jaw fell open a little as he did. Clearly caught off guard, Twilight made to backstep, only to stop half-way and make herself look even more awkward. She glanced at the Princess. “I... um...”

Her stammering echoed throughout the stadium, and hearing this made her cringe a little. Her face was flushed, her mouth moved slightly and soundlessly. It might've been an adorable sight, if not for the embarrassing fact that they were being watched by hundreds of speech-hungry spectators.

On instinct, Trixie lifted her nose and stepped forwards to seize control of the mic and make an improvised speech of her own. She cleared her throat, took a breath, and stopped...

Twilight, Celestia and Broadcast were all looking at her expectantly – just as much of the audience were. Trixie stayed silent. Not because she didn't know what to say – she could ad-lib a speech with the best of them. It was more that she felt a strange kind of obligation to let Twilight say her piece.

So – after the moment's hesitation – she shut her mouth and took a step closer to Twilight. Smiling into her partner's eyes, Trixie reached out and crossed a hoof with her – an offer of support, and a silent gesture of more.

Twilight stared at her for a long time, mouth part open as the colour in her cheeks returned to normal. She blinked. She returned the smile. And then she turned to face the microphone.

“I-I'm sorry, I lost myself for a moment there,” she said, drawing a smile and an understanding nod from the Princess. “Thank you Flaire, and Rose, and everypony else too. It's been a real honour for us to compete alongside you all, and to perform for such a wonderful audience.”

The crowd offered her an appreciative round of cheers. During the pause, Twilight cast a long, thoughtful glance across at Trixie, who also smiled her approval.

“And, of course, I hope we win,” Twilight continued, a little more quietly, and with a self-conscious glance at Celestia. “But I'm also very grateful for being invited to compete in the first place. If not for this event, there are a lot of things I might never have seen or done... or felt--” She gave Trixie a warm smile. “--Whatever happens next, I know that I'm a better pony for it, and that I'll be in good hooves with the new bonds that I've made. Thank you.”

As thunderous applause rang out across the stadium, Trixie could only stare at Twilight – chest swelling with something so much warmer than embarrassment at the awkwardly romantic statement. Standing so close, she was hard-pressed to not simply lean in the rest of the way and steal a kiss from Twilight right there and then. The poor mare would probably die of embarrassment in front of her Princess though, and thankfully, Trixie managed to maintain some of her discretion. It could always wait until later.

“Well, I'm sure the romantics in all of us can appreciate that nicely-delivered sentiment,” said Broadcast, stepping back to smile at them both. “Thank you, Flaire and Rose, Twilight and Trixie. Now that the speeches are out of the way, I can, without further ado, go on to announce a certain turn of events regarding our placings.”

Lost in Twilight as she was, it took Trixie a moment to register the words. When she did, she blinked rapidly and turned to face the announcer, who was standing by his chest again, but hadn't lifted it. “What turn of events?” she muttered.

Her curiosity was matched by a cautious muttering from the audience, as well as some exchanged glances between the other competitors.

“Princess,” said Broadcast, bowing his head to her.

Celestia bowed her own head grantingly, before unfurling her wings. She kicked off from the ground, sending a blast of warm air over the ponies closest to her, and began to fly off towards her box in the stands.

“Where's she going?” Trixie hissed into Twilight's ear.

“How should I know?” said Twilight.

“Throughout the first and second events,” said Broadcast, speaking into his mic again. “Trixie and Twilight Sparkle remained slightly ahead of Flaire and Rose, in terms of points, that is. But the third event saw a spectacular performance from each pair, for which the final round of points was then awarded, as you know, by our judges--”

Trixie's body stiffened. 'He said 'but'...'

“--and the points awarded were as thus – Flaire and Rose received an average of nine-and-a-half points out of a possible ten, whilst Trixie and Twilight received an average of eight-and-a-half.”

“What?!” Trixie growled, surging forwards only to be held back by Twilight's soft touch.

The announcer pulled a slip of paper from his wooden chest and smiled at it. “These points were then added to the totals, leaving us with turned tables and a new score...

“Our two pairs are tied for first place!”

“...What?” said Trixie and Twilight both. They were far from the only ones bemused by the statement – throughout the stands, a rowdy sort of muttering began to break out, punctuated by yells along the lines of “A tie?!” and “That's rubbish!”

The announcer chuckled a little into his microphone. “Easy now, folks! I know you're all hungry to see a winner. You don't really think we'd leave it at that, do you?”

The crowd quietened down, apparently willing to listen for now. For their part, Twilight and Trixie exchanged questioning glances.

“'But how do we resolve a tie between two pairs with identical scores?' I hear you ask!” Broadcast yelled. “Well, the answer is simple...”

Trixie cast a look at Flaire. He also had a brow quirked in question. Rose looked concerned, Twilight anxious. They all turned to face the announcer together, as he threw up his hooves and yelled at the top of his lungs.

“A magic duel!”

* * *

24 REDUX - Harmony, part one (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-four (REDUX) – Harmony, part one

Excited murmuring spread through the stands along with resounding shouts of approval. The announcement of the duel had certainly sparked the crowd's fervour.

The competitors themselves, however, were not nearly so excited...

Desert Rose and Twilight Sparkle made equally unsubtle gestures, in attempts to mask their surprise. Trixie caught Twilight throwing her an open-mouthed look, but Trixie herself didn't look back.

Her eyes had locked immediately with Flaire's, daring him to show some sign of weakness or anxiety – which, of course, he didn't – and redoubling her own efforts to look both cool and intimidating.

A magic duel was a big deal. It was a direct confrontation between unicorns – one's power, training and focus against another's. The winner took home all the glory, while the loser would be humiliated in front of her audience. It was the kind of thought that could make lesser ponies sick to their stomachs.

Trixie, of course, wasn't nervous.

Sure, she hadn't had a proper duel in years, so she was a little out of practise. And certainly, every time she'd locked horns with Flaire in the past, he had come out on top. And undoubtedly, if she were to make even a single slip-up, he'd best her once again.

But Trixie wasn't nervous. She didn't get nervous – that was for other ponies. Getting nervous could well cost somepony their hard-fought victory, and so she absolutely, positively was not nervous.

“Trixie?”

“What?!” snapped Trixie. She cringed immediately as she realised who had spoken, and turned to face her partner, to find that the lavender unicorn wore a concerned frown.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked.

Trixie opened her mouth, hesitated, then averted her eyes. “Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?”

“Well, you almost look like you've got a stomach-ache,” said Twilight. “I mean, not that I don't understand. You've been waiting for a chance to go up against Flaire since we got here – it makes sense that you'd feel kind of nervous.”

Trixie shot her an indignant look and grunted. She made to voice an argument. “I am not--”

But the words seemed to catch in her throat. Whether it was the sincere look on Twilight's face or simply some strange flash of pride, Trixie didn't know, but she couldn't bring herself to lie. In fact, it was very much the opposite, and as she let out a quiet, resigned huff, she looked up across the arena with pensive eyes.

Flaire and Rose were huddled close together, and the two of them seemed to be deep in hushed conversation – no doubt forming tactics for the fast-approaching duel. Trixie's eyes remained fixed on the green-coated stallion.

“I have been waiting the longest time to get a chance to beat him,” she admitted. “It's my opportunity to prove that I've finally outgrown him. But--” Her frown deepened.

'What if I fail?'

She closed her eyes – tried to focus on the muffled mumblings of the crowd and not her own, treacherous thoughts. 'I hate you, Flaire,' she growled mentally. 'Why do you always do this to me?'

“Hey.”

A gentle bump on her fetlock made her open her eyes and turn them to meet Twilight's. The lavender unicorn was smiling that particular smile – the one that said that all was right with the world, as long as Twilight had her eyes on Trixie. Twilight opened her mouth, and the words rolled out like a rope to drag her back to reality...

“Don't go getting all modest on me now, 'Miss Great and Powerful'.”

At first, Trixie just stared. Then she blinked. And then she smiled.

She almost felt as if she should give a little giggle in response to Twilight's 'prod', but when it came down to it, she could only feel happy.

“You're an amazing unicorn,” Twilight said, leaning in close to speak slowly and quietly. “And you're not alone, either. I'm right here with you. We'll win, together.”

Trixie's smile quirked up to one side. “Is that a promise?” she asked quietly.

Twilight shrugged. “I'd call it an... educated guess.”

That – along with the confident look in Twilight's eye as she drew back – was enough to drag a chuckle from Trixie. “Cocky showmare,” Trixie teased.

“Flashy spellcaster,” Twilight threw back.

“True,” Trixie granted. And it was.

With a shake of her head and a flick of her mane, Trixie adopted her trademark smirk and turned it on the audience in the stands. She cast off the silly self-doubt – short-lived and powerless over her – and accepted, in its place, the support of Twilight Sparkle. The mare whose strength and beauty were the stuff of fairy-tales. The mare whose idealistic virtue had driven her to help Trixie when she needed it the most. The mare who could have anything she wanted, and chose to live in a tree in some backwater town just so that she could be nearer to her friends.

The mare who Trixie could make smile.

She truly was Great and Powerful.

“Alright, folks, I think that's long enough for everypony to get settled!” came Broadcast's voice, echoing out across the stadium to snap Trixie back to the present. “Let's get this show on the road! Air Mail, Shear Feather, if you please!”

The crowd's excited murmuring piped up again as a pair of red-uniformed pegasus stallions took off from a box atop the stands. Between them, they carried a pair of small, wooden chests. Trixie exchanged a glance with Twilight before turning to watch the pegasi glide down into the arena.

'Air Mail' and 'Shear Feather' touched down with practised grace – one before Trixie and Twilight, and the other before Flaire and Rose – and then set down their loads, stepped back and bowed their heads.

“Inside these chests,” Broadcast began, “are four pendants – one for each duellist.”

“Pendants?” Twilight repeated, casting a questioning look at Trixie.

“These amulets have been enchanted by Princess Celestia herself, in such a way that they cannot be removed by magic. The goal of this duel will be to steal both pendants from the opposing team. If your own pendant comes unclasped, you will be eliminated from the duel, so make sure to fasten them tightly! Please, do so now!”

Trixie glanced once more at Twilight, then across at Flaire and Rose. The other pair seemed to have taken the announcement in stride, and Flaire had already magicked open his chest and lifted out the two pendants – each of which were made of a woven, silver material, with a large, golden medallion hanging from the centre.

Remembering herself, Trixie stepped forwards and nosed open the chest at her own hooves. Inside, resting atop a red silken lining, there lay two pendants, identical to those given to Flaire and Rose. Up close, Trixie could see the golden clasps that would fasten the pendants around their necks – and from these clasps she felt a gentle aura.

“Um...”

The voice drew Trixie's eyes to Twilight, who was holding her own mane back with a hoof, smiling expectantly. Trixie glanced between her and the pendant, then smiled in understanding.

Twilight turned her head, showing the back of her neck to Trixie, who stepped closer and gently swung the pendant around Twilight's neck. As she bit down on the clasp to seal it, her nose brushed up against Twilight's coat, illiciting a tiny squeak from the purple unicorn, and a smirk for Trixie herself as she pulled back.

Sure enough, when Trixie tested the clasp by tugging at it with telekinesis, it didn't even budge. It felt like trying to pull apart thin air – as if there was nothing there at all. It was an intriguing enchantment for sure, but beyond her understanding and skillset both.

Casually as she dared, Trixie lifted a hoof to push back her own mane, and turned her body to deliberately face Flaire. He met Trixie's eyes, just as she felt Twilight brush up against her with the second pendant in tow. Trixie held Flaire in an unblinking, confidently smug stare as Twilight fastened the pendant around her neck.

And then she yelped, as she felt a sudden, wet kind of electric shock on the back of her neck. Flaire raised his eyebrows, and heat rose to Trixie's cheeks as she mouthed wordlessly and turned to face her attacker.

Twilight Sparkle walked coolly away, casting a sultry smirk back over her shoulder at Trixie. Trixie's own eyebrows rose in surprise, and the smirk infected her too. 'Oh, so that's how it is? Don't think I'll let you get away with that, Twilight.'

By this time, Flaire and Rose had donned their own pendants too, and they were already standing ready. Following suit, Twilight and Trixie turned to meet them.

Trixie scuffed her hoof against the stone floor and focused her eyes on Flaire. Twilight fell in alongside her and fixed her own, suddenly serious expression on Rose. The two pairs stood ten strides apart, facing each other down in the centre of the great arena, and the sound throughout the stadium quietened as the announcer spoke up once more.

“Competitors ready?” his voice boomed.

Nopony moved to object. With Twilight by her side, Trixie was ready for anything.

“Then,” Broadcast said, “let the duel begin!”

A horn sounded from atop the stands, and immediately the four ponies launched into action. Trixie made to cast a quick force spell to knock Flaire off balance, but it was Twilight's horn that lit up first.

Twilight thrust forwards to fire a beam of purple light straight towards Rose – who had already started to channel her own spell – but Flaire stepped in before it could connect. He conjured up a tall, flat mirror from thin air between Twilight and Rose, catching the beam mid-flight.

The mirror shattered into sparkling dust, but it reflected the spell right back towards Twilight, and she barely managed to jump to the side in time to avoid it.

Sensing an opening, Trixie loosed her own spell at Flaire. A beam of light identical to Twilight's shot from her horn and hurtled towards him. It looked like it would connect, right up until Rose pushed past Flaire and cast a spread of magical, red orbs into the path of Trixie's spell.

Only one of the orbs actually connected with the beam – whilst the others flew past Trixie's head and fizzled out against the ground – but the collision caused a bright flash and a crack like lightning as both spells exploded into a harmless fountain of sparks. They'd cancelled each other out.

Flaire was the next to attack, whilst Trixie guarded and Twilight attempted to throw Rose off balance... In seconds, the arena was awash with light, colour and the crackle of magic as spells flew every which way between the four duellists. Trixie fought hard to try and knock Flaire back, though she stayed close to Twilight in order to protect her if necessary.

But every time she came close to bypassing Flaire's defenses and landing an attack, Rose would step in and deflect it. Just the same, Flaire would jump into action whenever Rose was targeted, and get her out of harm's way.

It was just after a flashy, magical – and ultimately unsuccessful – string of fireworks aimed at disorienting both of her rivals that Trixie staggered back, panting heavily and knowing that she'd overdone it. Sure enough, Flaire and Rose both saw the opening, but the supermodel was the first to step forwards and attack.

Trixie couldn't react fast enough, and she cringed as she watched another orb of red light soar straight towards her.

There was a flash of white. Twilight appeared right in front of Trixie, with her own horn alight a brilliant purple, and with a swift flick of the head, she knocked the orb off course – sending it off harmlessly into the far wall.

Before Trixie could so much as say 'Thank you', Twilight stepped forwards, twisted her body and thrust her horn towards Rose, launching a counter-attack in the form of a powerful jet of water summoned from her horn.

Flaire was there in an instant, standing between Twilight and Rose once again with his eyes narrowed and serious. As the water jet reached the space just before him, it split off in two directions, harmlessly spraying water droplets across the arena, everywhere but on he and Rose. A water-parting spell...

Panting a little herself, Twilight stepped back alongside Trixie and shook her head.

“It's no good,” said Twilight. “We won't hit them like this – they're defending each other too well.”

Trixie scowled, not taking her eyes off of Flaire as he and Rose began to circle them slowly. She hated to admit it, but Twilight was right – those two made a very good team. They covered each other's backs, and when one didn't anticipate an attack, the other did.

“We can't fight both of them together,” Trixie agreed, albeit begrudgingly. “We have to split them up.”

Twilight bit her lip. “I know, but... I don't like the idea of us splitting up to do that.”

Trixie shook her head. “Me neither. But unless we can take one of them out of the duel, we'll have to take our chances.” She narrowed her eyes at Flaire, who was muttering under his breath to his partner – no doubt forming tactics of his own. He was already looking at Trixie, but he shifted his expression ever so slightly to give her that look.

'If we have to go through with this, it's going to come down to me and him...'

“Wait,” said Twilight suddenly, perking up at Trixie's side. “Take one of them out of the duel...”

Trixie cast her a glance. “What?”

“I'm not sure, but I... No, yes! It'll work!” Twilight steadied her stance, and Trixie saw the tiniest of smirks spread onto her partner's face. “Trixie, I have a spell,” she said. “It'll only take a moment, but I have to concentrate.”

Across the way, Flaire stopped muttering to Rose – apparently having finished his discussion – and Trixie felt ominous vibes in the air.

“What kind of spell?” she asked.

“It's an imprisonment spell that Princess Celestia tried to teach me a while ago,” Twilight explained. “It's just what we need.”

“'Tried' to teach you?” said Trixie.

“Just trust me,” said Twilight. “I can do it, I promise.”

Trixie felt compelled to look across at Twilight, so much so that she actually pried her eyes away from Flaire. Twilight was looking right back at her, smiling in that very same way as before...

And Trixie did trust her, there was really no question about it.

“...Fine,” said Trixie, refocusing on Flaire, who was still slowly circling. “I'll distract them – leave it to me.”

Trixie felt one last flash of a smile from Twilight before the purple unicorn turned her head and lowered it. A soft light began to emanate from Twilight's horn.

Trixie stepped forwards and drew herself up, meaning to draw the attention away from Twilight. She flicked back her hair and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and focused her magic into the most awe-grabbing spell that she could imagine.

When her eyes flashed open, their glow cast a white light across the stone floor in front of her. Magic flared from her horn, whilst Flaire and Rose looked on, preparing to defend themselves from whatever Trixie had to throw at them. She smirked. She had a feeling that they wouldn't be prepared for this.

And they weren't.

Flaire and Rose both recoiled as Trixie stepped forwards and sent forth a burst of light, so bright that it even drew a startled cry from the audience. Six orbs of pulsing white light – each the size of a large stallion – flashed into existence around Twilight and Trixie, and began to swirl around at Trixie's will, forming a great circle.

The poorly-masked look of surprise on Flaire's face was only enough to distract Trixie for a scarce few seconds before she felt the strain that the spell put on her. It suddenly felt as if a buffalo had jumped onto her back, and her knees almost buckled under the weight. But she held firm and shifted her hooves to keep herself upright.

An arcane wind tugged at the ends of her mane, and she could almost feel an electric prickle across her face from all the magic in the air. In other circumstances, she would've stopped to appreciate how amazing the spell must have looked from afar. But that thought was stricken from her mind in a second. There was too much at stake to let herself lose concentration.

Flaire's expression shifted as he watched the spell unfold. A few seconds passed before his eyes resettled on Trixie. A few more, before he seemed to find what he was apparently looking for.

Rose was glancing at him as if to ask what she was supposed to do – clearly taken off guard by the spell. In response, Flaire calmly raised a placating hoof towards her and stood, watching Trixie, as if he knew that all he had to do was wait. He'd clearly seen the strain that was apparent on Trixie's face – with her brows knit and her jaw clenched as she struggled to maintain the spell. He knew she couldn't keep it up for long... but strangely enough, he wasn't smirking.

He was right, in one thing at least. Trixie could already feel her concentration slipping. The glowing orbs slowed down, and the light they cast began to flicker and weaken. In seconds, the spell would fail completely and leave her open to attack...

“Trixie, now!” cried Twilight.

All too happy to let her partner take over, Trixie released her spell and let out the strained breath she'd been holding. The orbs vanished and the light dimmed, but the magical prickle stayed in the air.

Twilight Sparkle jumped forwards – horn ablaze – and planted her hooves at Trixie's side. She lowered her head and, with a sound somewhere between a grunt and a yell, focused all the magic coursing through her body into a blast of colour – aimed straight at Desert Rose.

With less than a second to react, Rose herself was caught off guard, and though she adjusted her stance to try and deflect the attack, it wouldn't be enough. Flaire's reflexes were quicker though, and he managed to steady his stance in time. He held his horn forwards, as if willing his magic into an invisible shield between Rose, himself and Twilight's attack.

The blast struck a moment later. Flaire was thrown backwards through the air as his spell was overpowered, and the clash of magic seemed to explode in a flash of white. Arcs of purplish lightning shot every which way from the impact, one of which struck Rose in the chest.

Time seemed to slow before Trixie's eyes as she watched the spell take effect. Glacial blue magic shone up from the ground beneath Rose, encompassing her. There was an infinitesimally short pause before the light intensified. And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the light vanished, leaving in its place a pyramid of ice – at the centre of which, Rose was suspended, like a still-life of a pegasus in flight.

Trixie's reflexes kicked in, and she hopped to one side to avoid the magical arc shooting straight towards her. Luckily, she was fast enough to dodge it, and it dissipated harmlessly into the ground at her hooves.

From this new angle though, she had a perfect view of her partner. Barely a second had passed since Twilight had let off her spell, so she hadn't had a chance to recover – and thus was in no position to dodge the rebounding arc of her own magic, which struck her square in the chest.

Twilight let out a yelp as she was knocked back off of her hooves and the blue light surrounded her as well...

“Twilight!” Trixie cried, though by the time the name had left her lips, the spell had already done its work. The light crystallised around Twilight, leaving her suspended in the air, just a tail's distance above the ground... in a pyramid prison of ice.

No sooner had Trixie regained her bearings than she dashed forwards to help. She reared up onto her hindlegs and pressed her hooves up against the chill ice, staring into Twilight's frozen visage. Her eyes were shut tight in a cringe, and her forehooves were retracted against her chest, in a pose that would've been utterly adorable in another time and place.

“H-hold on!” said Trixie. “I'll get you out!”

Thinking fast, she summoned up a basic heat spell and tapped her horn against the pyramid. Almost immediately, she felt the spell taking effect – its warmth spreading out over the surface and reaching inwards to Twilight--

Trixie's ear perked up as she heard a subtle but dreadful whistle from across the arena. She ducked and pulled back as a blast of magic shot right over her head, kicking up the loose strands of her mane. Already knowing the culprit, she turned to throw a savage glower back at Him.

Flaire, like Trixie, had apparently dodged the chaotic effects of Twilight's spell. He stood a good fifteen paces away, a fair distance apart from his frozen partner, with his own eyes fixed firmly on Trixie. Now he was smirking.

The showmare knew what had to be done. She looked back at Twilight's frozen form for a brief but infinitely thoughtful moment, fantasising about a way to free Twilight without Flaire's interference, that they might take him on together. But even if there was such a way, part of her knew that this had been coming. A confrontation between she and Flaire – one on one – that's what this had all been leading up to.

In one, resolved movement, Trixie leant forwards and ran a hoof down Twilight's prison – a silent promise that she was still there, and still looking out for her. It was reassurance for Trixie herself as much as it was for Twilight. And then she turned to face Flaire, narrowing her eyes and stepping forwards, ready to duel.

* * *

25 REDUX - Harmony, part two (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-five – Harmony, part two

The two unicorns began to circle with slow, measured steps, keeping a good ten strides between them. That smirk never left Flaire's face.

“Not going to help your partner?” Trixie spat.

Flaire quirked his head grantingly. “Perhaps... if I knew the counterspell. But then again, I wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to catch up with my little sister.”

Trixie grunted, and simply continued to circle. She watched his movements, looking out for any sign of an attack, but he didn't seem to be in any kind of rush. He was waiting for her to make the first move, out of some sense of mock courtesy – an attempt to impress the crowd, no doubt.

“If you wanted to 'catch up', you would've sent a letter inviting me to dinner,” said Trixie, “not challenging me to a contest.”

“Would you have come?” Flaire countered. “Would you have obliged me if I'd said I simply wanted to see you again?”

Trixie scoffed. “Come off it, Flaire. You don't care about seeing me – you only care about making yourself look better.”

“You're my sister, Trixie.”

Trixie shook her head defiantly. She wasn't buying it.

Flaire slowed down, still keeping his eyes fixed on her. Trixie matched him as he came to a steady stop and regarded her with searching eyes.

“...Do you really hate me so?” he asked, in a tone of softness that was obviously trying to betray her.

“Why wouldn't I?” Trixie threw back. “After all you've done...”

“All I've done?” Flaire repeated.

“Oh, please. All you've ever done is show me up – even when we used to perform together you just used me to make yourself look better. Not to mention trying to get between me and Twilight. And don't even try to play dumb,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “She told me you asked her to dance.”

“Can you blame me?” said Flaire.

Trixie scowled. “Maybe not if you were actually interested. But we both know you were only trying to get to her to get to me.”

Flaire shook his head. “You paint a cruel picture of me, Trixie. You think my behaviour is selfish, but I've only ever--”

“Flaire,” Trixie interrupted. She hardened her gaze and lowered her head a little. “You're not going to fool me again, so stop trying. We have a duel to finish.”

Flaire looked up and around at the ponies crowding the stands. “Hmm, you're right – the crowd is getting restless,” he said, before meeting her eyes again. “I suppose we'll just have to talk after I beat you.”

At that, an ominous silence seemed to fall between the siblings. Trixie squared herself up as Flaire lowered into a martial position. There was a long and tense moment which seemed to drag out for minutes, as they continued to stare at one another – each waiting for the other to make a move.

Flaire's smirk held. Trixie's eye twitched.

With the speed of a bird taking flight, Flaire stepped forwards and thrust out his horn – lighting it up for a split second before launching forth a bolt of bright, purple light. Trixie was quick to defend herself as the bolt shot straight towards her. She lowered her stance and focused her magic into deflecting the attack.

But just before it reached her, it detonated in midair – sending out a deafening bang and a massive blast of white light that tore into Trixie and forced her to shut her eyes. For a moment, she could see or hear nothing at all, but as the daze began to clear, she forced herself to refocus on Flaire. Except that he wasn't there...

Her eyebrows shot up her forehead as she heard a muffled hoofstep behind her, and she managed to react just in time to jump to one side as Flaire dived at her from behind. His teeth clicked together just an inch from her necklace chain. The near miss didn't throw him off though – and he was quick to spin in place to face her again.

Trixie made to counter-attack. Channelling magic all the while, she reared up onto her hindlegs and then brought her hooves down onto the stone floor. There was a quiet 'bang!' as a vent of black smoke shot up right into the space between she and Flaire, clearly catching him off guard as he recoiled out of sight behind it.

Sensing her chance, Trixie jumped forwards through the smoke and made for Flaire's own necklace, but he sidestepped the attack just as she had.

They each brought their horns up to cast at each other at exactly the same moment – bringing them just inches apart. As the glow engulfed both of their horns, the proximity and desperation of the casts sent magic sparking between them. There was another flash of light, the sound of a muffled explosion, and Trixie felt an intangible force pushing her backwards along with a blast of wind.

She ground her hooves into the stonework to keep herself from falling, and felt herself skidding across the arena. When she finally came to a stop, she opened her eyes to find a low cloud of clearing dust between she and Flaire, who was now at least twenty strides back – clearly having been thrown back as well. Their eyes met again.

Trixie felt a hot flash and let out a heavy breath through her nose – anxiously relieved that she'd managed to stay standing, but equally surprised by the power of the clash. Sure enough, Flaire was still as strong as ever. And what was more, he hadn't held back with that attack. He really meant to give this his all now, which meant that Trixie couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.

Deciding to stick with what she knew best – the classics – Trixie lit up her horn and focused on the space above Flaire. Dark shadows began to dance over his figure...

He looked up just in time to see the storm cloud take its full shape above his head. 'One good hit,' Trixie told herself. 'One good hit is all it'll take to stun him. Then I can grab the necklace and help Twilight...'

With that thought driving her, she lashed downwards with her horn – the motion bringing with it a bolt of lightning from the storm cloud over Flaire's head. But he was already gone when the bolt struck, and it glanced harmlessly off of the ground with little more than a sparking crackle.

Flaire recovered immediately from his dodge roll, but Trixie didn't give him a chance to counter. With a strained grunt, she moved the cloud and brought down another bolt, with struck just between his forehooves as he hopped backwards. Another bolt – he hopped back again. Another – he stepped deftly to the side.

He was out of the way of the fifth bolt almost before Trixie had cast it, having anticipated the attack. Flaire took his chance to retaliate. His horn lit up its signature purple, and a flickering green firework shot up from it a moment later – striking the storm cloud in its very centre. The ensuing burst of colour and light caught even Trixie off guard as it dispersed her spell into nothingness, and she felt suddenly dizzy, as if having hit her head.

As she blinked and staggered in place, trying to shake off the haze behind her eyes, she could make out movement from Flaire. She stumbled back on instinct, but he didn't seem to be moving towards her. A few more seconds passed, and the haze cleared up enough for her to make out his figure properly. His eyes were closed, his hooves a steady distance apart, and an illusory breeze blew through his mane as he channelled magic through his horn.

Dark shadows played over Trixie, and a sickening sensation welled up in her stomach. She hadn't even regained herself properly, but she forced herself to look up, all the same. And there, hovering right above her, was a dark, swirling storm cloud.

The first bolt shot forth a second later, and she barely had time to jump to the side fast enough to avoid it. Even then, her tail got caught by the attack, and she let out a gasp as she saw the blackened ends of her beautiful silver streaks.

She hadn't time to express her anger though, because the cloud crackled with energy again straight away. Without time to think, she dived to the ground and made a clumsy roll to avoid the next attack. Next thing she knew, she was running across the arena – pursued by Flaire's cloud as she headed for Twilight's prison. She didn't know what she was doing, only that she felt the nearer she was to Twilight, the better.

Every fifth or sixth hoofbeat was punctuated by a thunderclap as lightning struck the ground in her wake, but she only dared to stop and turn when she'd reached Twilight – still frozen in her pyramid prison. When she did, she saw that Flaire was dashing after her as well, with his cloud leading the way of course – almost over Trixie's head again.

Whether by some subconscious thought of 'What would Twilight do?' now that they were closer, or simply by some random coincidence, Trixie had an idea come to mind. As the cloud crackled with energy again, she didn't try to dodge, but instead squared herself up and raised her horn to the sky, focusing on the lightning.

The bolt lashed down a moment later.

Trixie cringed and grunted as she felt the spell's heat against the tip of her horn, but no pain struck her along with it. Instead, the energy from the point of contact seemed to swim down through her horn and disperse as it reached the rest of her body – sending a tingling sensation to the very ends of her hooves and making strands of her mane stand on end. She also felt a sickening feeling in her stomach – that hadn't worked nearly as well as she'd expected, and she wouldn't be able to do it again.

But she'd still achieved the desired effect – having filled her body with static energy just waiting to be released. And she knew just where to send it...

As the next bolt arced down from the cloud, Trixie jumped forwards and galloped the few strides further to reach Flaire – ignoring the thunderclap behind her. She twisted her body, skidded to a halt, and savoured the look of surprise on his face as she swung her horn towards his chest.

With an infinitely satisfying 'crack', the potential energy coursing through Trixie was released into that concentrated point on Flaire's chest, hitting him with a wave of force so great that it knocked him clean off of his hooves. His cloud disappeared immediately as he forwent the channelling and focused on an effort to guide his fall with telekinesis – backflipping midair and gliding down to land on his hooves half-way across the arena. It may have looked impressive – begrudged as Trixie was to admit it – but he'd clearly not been expecting that attack, and he was forced to pause to recover.

Trixie considered it only a minor triumph, considering how tired she, herself, was feeling already. She was good, but so was he. Right then, it could've gone either way, and Trixie, even being as Great and Powerful as she was, knew that she was running out of tricks.

She stepped backwards, took a breath and cast an instinctive look towards Twilight, trying to refocus herself on tactics. That's when she saw it.

There, at the base of the icy pyramid encasing her partner, Trixie saw a black scorch mark – from Flaire's lightning strike. A splintering crack in the ice had risen up from the ground where the lightning had struck. It rose only a few inches, but there was a faint, white glow from between the cracks...

It was then that Trixie's eyes lit up and her mouth inched open. She chanced a look up at Twilight's frozen figure – still suspended off the ground and huddled helplessly against herself. Everything fell into place.

“I'm impressed,” Flaire called. “For a moment there, I thought I was in trouble.”

Trixie's lips set themselves in a solid line, and she took a deep breath before forcing herself away from her partner. She locked eyes with Flaire – who approached slowly from across the arena – and started towards him, positioning herself between him and Twilight.

“You are in trouble, Flaire,” she said, stopping a few strides forwards and waiting for him to come the rest of the way. “You're up against the most Great and Powerful unicorn in all of Equestria.”

Flaire chuckled quietly and shook his head. “Still so full of yourself. And here I was thinking you'd changed.” He came to a stop ten strides back and squared his stance. “You're certainly talented, Trixie, but you're far from the strongest in Equestria.”

“That's where you're wrong,” said Trixie, finding a tiny smirk of her own. “You haven't seen half of my strength yet.”

“Oho?” said Flaire, clearly amused. He raised his voice and lifted a hoof up to gesture around at the audience. “Well then, why don't you show us, Trixie?” he called, before fixing her with a firm smirk once again, and speaking in a low, ominous tone. “Show us all.”

Trixie's lip twitched. This was it – her best chance, her last shot. Her mind was made up. It was all or nothing now.

She lowered herself into a defensive stance, preparing herself for what was to come. “...Take your best shot,” she said, calmly enunciating every word.

Flaire quirked a brow, and then the rest of his head, though the smirk never left him. Trixie knew that look – he was scanning her for some sign of a bluff or deception, but she made sure that there was none. She stared him down. He narrowed his eyes. She narrowed hers. They continued to stare – a battle of wills – until finally...

“...So be it,” he said.

Trixie's entire body seemed to harden as Flaire's horn lit up a shimmering purple. The light started gently, and grew over seconds and seconds until it was practically blazing atop his forehead. He ground his teeth together – pouring every inch of his energy into the one spell. His mane whipped back in an invisible breeze, of which Trixie could feel wisps even from her distance away. She held her ground.

Finally, when the spell was ready, Flaire's face and body seemed as strained as if he were holding up a sack of concrete with his neck. All that magical energy would probably be a great deal more straining than that, if she was honest. It would be next to impossible for her to conjure up a spell strong enough to deflect it. But she couldn't lose. She wouldn't lose.

Flaire met her eyes, watching her.

Trixie narrowed her eyes, daring him.

A pained second later, he launched the spell.

A veritable beam of grey-blue light burst forth from his horn – at least as wide and tall as Trixie herself, and coming straight towards her. She was as ready as she could ever be for something of that magnitude.

The air rattled and time seemed to slow as the beam of energy expanded towards her. She held firm. If she tried to do anything to avoid or deflect the attack now, Trixie knew that he'd just move the beam around her defenses – spells so focused were rarely as clumsy as they looked. She had to wait until the very last moment, and even then, there was no chance of her getting out of the way unscathed. But Twilight was counting on her – Twilight trusted her – and so she had to do this.

The beam seemed to grow ever larger in Trixie's eyes. The ground shook as it drew nearer and nearer. She gritted her teeth to fight off the instinct to protect herself.

And then, as it was just inches away from striking her, she shifted her weight and tumbled to the side. She let out a gasp and felt an overwhelming cold as the beam grazed her side – it was as if its mere touch was draining all the strength and magic out of her to fuel itself.

She landed on her side on the cold, stone floor, suddenly completely exhausted. Having achieved its goal, the beam didn't change course, it just continued straight on, out of Trixie's sight. There was a sound of rushing water coursing against stone. Trixie's eyes filled with white, hazy light – forcing them closed in a cringe. A high-pitched whistling filled the air. The sound of shattering glass...

And finally, it all stopped. There was no sound other than gasps of shock and awe from the audience. Trixie was strained to allow her eyes to flutter open ever so slightly, and when she did, she saw Flaire still standing across the way. He looked shaken, as he should after casting such a massive spell, though he would recover in seconds.

The same could not be said for Trixie. The spell's hit had taken so much out of her. The only time she'd ever felt so exhausted was when she was lying in that clearing in the Everfree forest, all those months ago... And just as then, she was helpless to do anything.

She blinked slowly to try and refocus on Flaire, just as he seemed to shake himself out of whatever daze he was in. He steadied himself, and his horn lit up. Trixie knew she should've felt dreading, maybe even scared, of what was to come – her defeat at his hooves once again, just like always. But a vague memory tugged at the back of her mind. A string of hope. A purple light...

The world moved in slow-motion as Flaire flicked his horn forwards. Blazing, multichrome light shot forth in a cone of magical orbs. Trixie squinted, but didn't close her eyes.

A curved wall of purple shot up between Trixie and Flaire, just as the lights were closing in on her. The orbs swerved or disappeared as they touched the shield, passing over or around Trixie to create a sort of surreal, silently beautiful spectacle to watch from her position on the floor. The cold started to fade, and she was able to inch her eyes open a smidge further.

A purple hoof filled her vision.

Craning her neck, Trixie looked up past the proffered hoof into the glowing purple light that stood beside her. The glowing figure was so bright and obscured that it seemed faceless, yet somehow still the kindest, warmest thing Trixie had ever seen. And as her eyes began to adjust, she felt warmer still.

“Need a hoof, partner?” said Twilight Sparkle – her voice and smile radiating a light powerful enough to drive away the rest of the cold.

Trixie blinked up at Twilight's form. Her breath caught. Her chest fluttered. “...I knew it would work,” she muttered, a clumsy smile finding her own lips.

With that, she reached up and took Twilight's hoof. The moment they touched and she felt Twilight supporting her weight, lightning sparked through her entire body – coursing from that hoof all up her leg and neck before spreading out across the rest. A second wind took her, and she grunted determinedly as Twilight lifted her upright.

A moment later, they stood before each other – hooves held, eyes locked and both smiling as the colour storm continued to rage outside the safety of Twilight's seemingly effortless shield spell.

“That was clever, Trixie,” Twilight said, her soft voice carrying over the gentle roar of Flaire's spell.

Trixie cracked a tiny smirk. “You almost sound surprised.”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “Not surprised. Pleased... I thought you'd want to fight him alone. It is kind of your fight, after all.”

“It is my fight,” said Trixie, brushing Twilight's hoof a little. “And I want to win it together, with you.”

She smiled back at Twilight, whose expression softened into one of gentle admiration. Trixie stared at Twilight. Twilight stared back at Trixie. So much was said in that moment – countless silent words exchanged as that single look held for seconds that felt like minutes. It was obvious that neither of them wanted to let go, but it was Twilight that finally summoned the strength to break the silence.

“Then let's win,” she said.

Trixie felt a rush of heat in her chest, and savoured it for the blissful split-second she could, before nodding determinedly. Together, the partners released one another's hooves and gazes, to turn to face Flaire.

His colour storm was still raging outside the shield, obscuring Trixie's view of the outside world. He obviously wasn't trying to physically break through the shield – for all she knew, he might've simply been sustaining it while he re-thought his tactics, or he might even have been trying to startle she and Twilight into panicking and opening themselves to attack.

“I see him,” Twilight suddenly whispered.

Trixie glanced sidelong at Twilight, to see her eyes narrowed straight ahead. Try as she might to follow the gaze though, Trixie still couldn't see anything through the storm.

“Where?” she asked.

She felt a sudden warmth against her cheek as Twilight pressed up against her and guided her head. “That way,” Twilight said. “You don't have to see, just fire a spell. Try and startle him.”

“Startle him?” said Trixie sceptically. “And then what?”

“You'll see,” said Twilight. “Just follow my lead.”

Trixie frowned in uncertainty for a long moment, but it soon faded in the face of Twilight's cheek brushing gently against her own. It reminded her more than a little of the night before, when they danced for hours on end in that ballroom.

A calming air descended over her, and a soft smile spread onto her lips as she nodded again. She began to pour magic into her horn, focusing on the simple spell that she'd cast so many times before. She traced a hoof forwards along the ground, ready to move. And then, with a steady focus and determination, she thrust forwards and lunged towards the spot which Twilight had shown her.

A brilliant purple firework shot forth from the tip of her horn, leaving a sparkling trail in its wake as it passed through the shield and vanished out into the colour storm. A moment later, there was the distinct sound of it bursting, and Twilight seemed to take this as a signal.

She drew up alongside Trixie again with a single, graceful step, with her own horn alight its signature purple. The world seemed to shift around them, and Trixie's stomach twisted too whilst she registered what was going on. The shield protecting them was expanding – as if to push back Flaire's spell – and also twisting in on itself in the strangest way.

Twilight's eyes lit up with a white glow. Trixie had to close her own to keep from getting dizzy. There was a great flash that shone even through her eyelids. And then total silence.

She craned an eye open. The other shot open immediately.

Before her, half-way across the arena, was a much smaller, purple dome, large enough to surround a single pony. Within it, she could first see nothing other than the dancing, multichrome lights of Flaire's spell. But as the seconds passed, these quickly began to fade, leaving a single, dazed-looking pony staggering around inside the dome.

The dizzy and disoriented look on Flaire's face was priceless for the short while it lasted. Naturally though, he recovered very quickly, shaking his head to clear it, only to assume a look of surprise as he found himself surrounded by the purple light.

The nudge from Twilight was enough of a silent cue for Trixie to know that it was her turn. The showmare took another step forwards and raised her horn to the sky, lighting it up with a gracefully exaggerated light. This was the grand finale, after all – she wanted to make it look impressive.

Flaire reacted immediately. He ran forwards and tried to barge out through the shield with his side, only to bounce off and regain his balance back in the centre of the dome. He quickly shook off the blow and lowered his head, opting instead to break out with magic. He closed his eyes, his horn lit up again, and his body began to glow with a pulsing, yellowish light.

At Trixie's side, Twilight grunted with a sudden strain. The shield around Flaire flickered ominously. He'd clearly prepared a counterspell, after seeing Twilight's use of the shield spell in the other events, and it would overpower Twilight at any second.

But, just as Trixie, Twilight wasn't alone.

Trixie seized the moment and let loose the spell she'd been channelling – giving form to a shimmering length of rope overhead. She swung her horn downwards and sent it soaring towards Flaire, aimed straight at his hooves.

The stallion was so focused on his counterspell that he didn't have time to register and react to the attack fast enough, and the rope passed effortlessly through the faltering shield to reach him. Trixie flourished her horn with deliberate elegance, guiding the rope between and around Flaire's legs to form a practised knot – a spell she'd last used on Twilight's friend back in Ponyville.

Just as then, she dragged the tied ends of the rope upwards into the air, yanking Flaire off of his hooves and disrupting his spell as he flipped over in midair. He let out a winded “Oof'” as he fell onto his back, with his legs tied helplessly above him like piñata.

“Now, Twilight!” Trixie yelled, grinding her hooves into the ground as she used all her strength to keep him restrained.

Twilight didn't need telling twice either. The ends of Trixie's mane were kicked up as her partner dashed past, with her horn alight and face set.

There was a flash as Twilight leapt forwards and vanished, taking her shield with her and leaving Flaire tied up on the ground. A split-second later, she re-materialised right in front of him. In one deluxe and forceful movement, she landed, skidded forwards and brought her teeth down around the pendant that hung from Flaire's neck.

Click.

The sound seemed to echo amidst the stadium's speechless silence as everyone, Trixie included, watched Twilight make a valiant twirl on her back hooves, spinning the stolen pendant around her.

Trixie's magical grip faded, and though the rope remained around Flaire, the crackle of magic seemed to dissipate from the air into a shaking calm.

Twilight landed on all four hooves.

The silence drew on.

And then the applause came.

It was a roaring sound, as every pony in the stands rose from their seats to shout and to cheer, and to clap and punch the air. Trixie let out a strangled breath of joy mixed with disbelief and pride and every other emotion she couldn't name in the moment.

Twilight met her eyes, grinning toothily around the pendant still hanging from her mouth.

Trixie's gaze grew watery as she looked back into those wonderful, wonderful eyes. She burst forwards into a full-on gallop, so overcome that she didn't even care about looking clumsy. Twilight dashed forwards too, still grinning as she did.

The seconds it took for them to reach one another did nothing to quell the feeling in Trixie's chest. And as Twilight threw the pendant to the ground and leapt towards her with hooves outstretched, Trixie was all too happy to return the gesture.

She threw her hooves around Twilight and caught her in a wonderfully crushing hug, burying her nose into that striped, midnight mane and shutting her eyes tight to revel in the touch. A giggle-sob escaped Trixie, almost failing to express the utter happiness in her heart.

'We won... We won.'

She squeezed Twilight even harder as the thought brought even more warmth to her chest. Twilight gratefully squeezed back. In all honesty, the victory felt nothing like Trixie had imagined. She'd always pictured herself finally stepping out of Flaire's shadow alone, and that when she did, she would hold her nose to the sky and revel in applause and the spiteful pleasure of finally being better than he was.

But no... it wasn't like that at all. She'd won, together with Twilight Sparkle – the mare to whose kindness, and magic, she owed everything. That, more than anything, was what brought about the overpowering feelings of pride and affection she felt as that lone tear of joy tumbled down her cheek and into Twilight's mane.

Twilight's body shook with a silent giggle. “Oh, Trixie...”

The applause continued to rage in the stands overhead as the two mares pulled back to stand with their noses touching, looking into one another's eyes. Twilight brought a hoof up to subtly wipe the wetness from Trixie's cheek.

“We did it,” Twilight whispered.

Trixie fought back a sniffle, determined to look cool for her partner. “Yes, we did.”

She closed her eyes and continued to smile as she felt Twilight do the same. They stayed there, letting the rush of emotions play by as they focused on nothing other than one another's breathing.

When, at last, Trixie's mind was calm enough to remember their surroundings, she gently lifted open her eyelids and pulled back from Twilight. Her gaze trailed past her partner, to where Flaire still lay on his back, on the stone floor of the arena, with his own eyes closed and a completely calm, emotionless look on his face.

Twilight shifted too, turning to look in the opposite direction. Trixie followed her gaze over to the pyramid of ice that still encased Desert Rose some ways across the arena. The pendant still hung around her neck.

Twilight and Trixie met one another's eyes again, and they made a silent accord. Twilight stepped away first, to make towards Rose and her prison. That left Trixie to face Flaire.

It took her a long moment to get moving, but once she'd taken that first step, it was easy to make the rest. She soon stood over him, staring down at his expressionless face and over the knotted bonds that still restrained him. He hadn't made any effort to escape them.

“...Flaire,” she said firmly.

As was typical of Flaire, he took his sweet time responding to her, but eventually he did open his eyes to meet hers. Silence hung between them.

“...You won,” he said.

“Yes.”

He stared, as if waiting for her to go on. And she knew exactly what he was expecting. He was expecting her to burst into a boastful rant about how much better than him she was, how his complacent attitude had driven him to underestimate her and allowed her to finally overcome him.

But she had no such thing to say. Part of her wanted to, of course – a distant, tiny voice inside that she didn't even need to force down. It was easier than she expected to magically reach down and untie the knot that bound him, letting the rope tumble to the floor.

She continued to stare down at him, and he up at her. He waited for a long time, before finally seeming to accept that she had nothing to say.

He smiled. It wasn't a self-satisfied smirk, or one of those disarming smiles that he flashed at ponies he wanted to charm or subvert. It was just a smile – one Trixie could only remember seeing a very, very long time ago.

“You have grown up,” Flaire said simply.

Trixie blinked at him. There were plenty of things she could've said to that, but all of them would've been biting or cold. He might well deserve them, she had no doubt about that, but she held her tongue all the same.

There was a flicker of magic in the air, and the sound that came with it. Trixie and Flaire both turned to look towards Twilight Sparkle, who stood before Rose's prison with her horn lit up. A purple glow encased the ice, turning it purest white for a few seconds, before the entire thing disappeared – leaving Desert Rose suspended in midair.

Held by Twilight's magic, she drifted steadily down to the floor, where she lay, limp and breathing softly – fast asleep.

Twilight crouched down and grasped Rose's pendant with her teeth, gently pulling it until it came unclasped. She tossed it to one side and smiled down at Rose for a moment, before turning to nod at Trixie.

Trixie smiled back.

A brilliant white light spread out over the stadium as Princess Celestia materialised in the very centre of the arena and floated down to the ground. Flaire was calm but respectfully quick to untangle himself and rise to his hooves. Celestia's magical entrance even seemed to stir Rose from her enchanted sleep, and she blinked clumsily towards the Princess' radiant light.

Celestia, as seemed to be typical of her, was beaming that particularly warm smile once again.

Casting a glance over at Twilight, Trixie saw that her partner's eyes were fixed on Celestia. And judging by the look on her face, she saw something in the Princess' expression that Trixie did not. There was the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” Celestia called out, “we have our victors. Trixie Lulamoon, Twilight Sparkle, please step forward.”

Trixie found herself hesitating for all of two seconds before she started towards the Princess. The movement seemed to snap Twilight out of some kind of daze, and she was quick to hurry up alongside.

Behind them, Flaire had risen and was moving over to rejoin Rose, but Trixie's attention was hardly focused on the two of them. Instead, her mind was occupied solely by the elation of victory, and her eyes fixed on the smiling Princess.

As she and Twilight came to a stop before Celestia, they each gave a deep and graceful bow of respect.

“Rise, my little ponies,” Celestia said.

They did, and Trixie looked right up into Celestia's warm, smiling eyes as the Princess looked between she and Twilight in turn. If Trixie had to give that look a name, she'd say that it was the look of a proud mother.

“Today,” said Celestia, her voice echoing out over the stadium, “not only have you proven yourselves powerful adversaries, but you have once again shown the trust, teamwork and determination that has brought you this far during the Display. It is my great honour and privilege to be the one to award this year's prize to two such deserving ponies...”

Celestia's horn lit up a regal yellow, and from thin air she drew forth a pair of glittering, platinum medallions, each hanging from a blue ribbon. At Trixie's side, Twilight bowed her head gracefully, ready to receive her award. Trixie, on the other hoof, wasted no time in puffing out her chest, closing her eyes and proudly smirking up towards the sky.

A matter of seconds passed before she felt the caress of the ribbon as it draped around her neck, and she forced herself to wait a good count of another three-and-a-half before opening her eyes to look down and check it out. Sure enough, it seemed to shine against her chest as it reflected the Sun's light. 'I wish I had a mirror...'

On an instinctive whim, she turned to Flaire with a mockingly proud smirk on her face, meaning to rub her victory in his face, just as she had done in every daydream she'd ever had of this moment. But that smirk wavered...

He stood there with the still groggy-looking Desert Rose pressed up against him in a cuddle, with her eyes closed. His eyes were looking right back into Trixie's. And he was smiling that same, genuine smile. Almost as if he was proud of her.

Trixie blinked as her mouth formed a thoughtful line. This was nothing like she'd imagined...

A bump against her side distracted Trixie from her thoughts, and she turned to see Twilight giving her a meaningful, sidelong look. The showmare blinked cluelessly for a few seconds before she cottoned on and turned to the still-smiling Princess.

“O-oh, ahem... Thank you, your highness,” said Trixie hastily.

Celestia lowered her voice to its normal tone and leaned in a little. “As I said, it is my pleasure. You have both earned this, and I am very proud of you.” She paused to offer Twilight a quick wink, to which the purple unicorn responded with a bright smile. As to what exactly that wink meant, Trixie could only guess. She was probably just letting Twilight know that she was proud of her in particular, which was perfectly okay in Trixie's book.

After one final glance between the two of them, Celestia nodded, took a step back and puffed out her chest, ready to address the stadium as a whole.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” she called out. “I hereby present to you this year's Champions of the Manehattan Display... the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle and the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

At that, the audience broke into veracious applause once again – rising to their hooves and yelling at the top of their lungs in celebration of Trixie's victory.

Twilight and Trixie's victory. Strangely enough, that thought was a whole lot sweeter to Trixie than knowing that she had the spotlight all to herself. She had somepony to share it with. And that somepony just happened to be Twilight Sparkle – the smartest, specialest, most beautiful unicorn in all of Equestria.

...Next to Trixie herself, of course.

On impulse, she turned to the side to smile at Twilight, who was looking out across the stands above with her eyes wide and her jaw partly agape as she took in the applause. There was something twinkling in her eyes. Pride, joy, a little embarrassment perhaps. Whatever the case, it was that look – coupled with the lingering elation of victory – that prompted the idea both mischievous and brilliant into Trixie's mind...

“I'm sorry, Twilight,” she said.

Twilight blinked rapidly. She'd clearly been so caught up in listening to the applause that it took her a moment to register Trixie's words. When she did, she dragged her eyes away from the crowd to offer Trixie a confused look.

“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”

Trixie's smirk widened. For her part, Twilight just quirked her head in question, clearly puzzling over what Trixie was talking about. She was utterly clueless...

After leaving it a good few moments for effect, Trixie decided to enlighten her.

In a movement quicker than lightning, Trixie thrust herself forwards and caught Twilight square on the lips, locking her into a kiss.

Twilight gave a muffled yelp and her eyebrows shot right up her forehead as flames seemed to light up in her cheeks. She made what could hardly be called an effort to pull away before her eyes darted to the side in panic.

Mischievously curious, Trixie followed her gaze.

Princess Celestia was looking right back at the two of them, with her smile wider than ever and with her own eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly. Trixie couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at seeing that look. It was more than enough to get Twilight back for the bold neck kiss that she obviously thought she'd gotten away with.

At this point, Trixie expected Twilight to pull away, tell her off or possibly pass out from the embarrassment of being kissed in front of a thousand spectators and the Princess who'd been her mentor since childhood.

But Twilight didn't pull away.

Instead, she let out a nervous, muffled giggle and resigned herself to Trixie's kiss, closing her eyes and melting into the embrace. Taken off guard, Trixie hesitated for a moment, before promptly letting go of her thoughts and following suit.

The two ponies held their kiss as the still-roaring sound of applause faded to a dull background noise. And though what seemed like the entire population of Manehattan might've been watching them, it felt, to Trixie, as if they were the only two ponies in the world.

And, somehow, she knew that Twilight felt that way too.

* * *

26 - A Loose End (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-six – A Loose End

“Ugh, thank goodness! I thought we'd never get away,” Twilight groaned as she stepped into the hotel room, stopping for breath just inside.

Trixie followed after her and closed the door with a flick of the tail. The smile on her lips was weary, but it was a smile nonetheless. She felt just as tired as Twilight, but she'd be lying through her teeth if she said she hadn't enjoyed every minute of the post-victory parade.

“You signed up for this when you decided to help me win the Display, you know,” said Trixie.

Twilight huffed and started off down the hall, heading straight for the bedroom. “I know, I know,” she grumbled. She didn't sound overly irritated, but she obviously wasn't in a playful mood.

After rolling her neck and checking that the door was shut behind her, Trixie followed Twilight into the bedroom. Twilight had barely a few seconds' lead, but when Trixie stepped into the room, it was just in time to see the purple unicorn flop down upon the bed – face first – and let out another groan.

Trixie's lip curled to the side in question. “Are you sure you're alright?”

There was a moment of silence. Trixie simply stared at the back of her partner's head, whilst Twilight herself tried to inhale the lovely pink blankets. And then, seemingly out of the blue, Twilight began to shake with a silent giggle.

“Alright?” she said, rolling onto her side to flash Trixie an enormous grin. “I feel incredible! I'm just so exhausted. If I'd have known they were going to make us celebrate all afternoon...”

Trixie rolled her eyes playfully. “It's not like we had to do anything other than wave and shake a few hooves.”

“That's easy for you to say,” Twilight chuckled. “You're used to this kind of thing, but I've never had that much attention. I never knew how tiring it was.” She rolled herself onto the edge of the bed and sat up. The medal around her neck was engulfed with a purple glow as she used magic to lift it off and drop it down on the bedside table.

Trixie just smiled and shook her head as she moved around to the other side of the bed. 'I know what you mean...'

She came to a stop as she reached her own bedside table, looked past the firefly lamp and smiled down at the golden hoof mirror that lay atop it – her present from Twilight. It wasn't every day that something so wonderfully magical came into Trixie's possession, and she hadn't had a chance to use it as much as she would've liked, what with the Display taking up all of her time.

So she took the chance now, while she could, to lift the mirror with her magic and watch the image within swim into focus.

At first, it showed nothing but a plain image of the room's ceiling. But a second later, as Twilight turned her head, Trixie saw herself 'reflected' in the mirror – a radiant, blue unicorn with a lush, silver mane from whose neck hung a glinting, platinum medallion. The unicorn was smiling, and she only seemed to get happier as she felt the rush of emotions that came with seeing herself through Twilight's eyes.

Trixie stared in wonder and warmth at the mare in the mirror for what might've been minutes, before finally putting it to one side and turning to face Twilight. She was met with the most lovely of smiles and a glistening pair of violet eyes that held so much kindness and caring. It was just as beautiful a sight as that which the mirror held... maybe even more so.

Lifting the medal from her own neck and setting it down on the table, Trixie climbed into bed herself and laid her head back on the pillow. She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out in another blissful sigh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so... fulfilled.

“I'm still mad at you, you know?” said Twilight, though her voice told nothing of the sort.

Already smirking, Trixie turned to find a very poor imitation of a grumpy frown on Twilight's face. “Mad at moi?” she said, already knowing perfectly well. “What ever for?”

Twilight gave her a deadpan look. “Did you have to kiss me in front of the Princess?”

Trixie's smirk widened mischievously. “Did you have to enjoy it so much?” she countered.

At that, Twilight's cheeks went red, and though she tried to hold her grumpy face steady, there was definitely a smile creeping through.

“Yes, well,” Twilight huffed, “I guess I can forgive you. It was kind of exciting to win, after all.”

“And...?” said Trixie.

Twilight looked defiantly up at the ceiling and tried desperately to suppress her grin. “And... I did kind of like it,” she muttered.

“Mhm,” Trixie grunted in affirmative, the grin now filling her own face.

If, two months ago, somepony had said to Trixie that she was going to end up kissing Twilight Sparkle in front of a princess, and later sharing a double bed with her, she would've told them that they were out of their mind. And now, that was exactly what had happened, and it seemed like the most normal, natural thing in the world.

Twilight shifted on the bed. “The hotel offered to put us up for another week, free of charge,” she said quietly.

Trixie's smile didn't fade, so much as it mellowed out a bit. She took a breath through her nose before replying. “And what did you tell them?”

“I turned them down,” said Twilight, almost apologetically. “I really would like to spend another week here with you, without the pressure of the Display, but, well...”

“They're all waiting for you back in Ponyville,” Trixie finished for her.

Twilight nodded. “I just really miss my friends. I know it's only been a week, but I haven't been away from them for this long since we all met! And I can't wait to tell them about all this. They're going to be so proud!”

The smile on Trixie's face froze for a split second. 'Proud...'

'I'm proud of you, Trixie', Flaire had said...

Trixie blinked, then shook herself, hoping that Twilight hadn't noticed her hesitation. “O-of course they're going to be proud – their best friend just won one of the most prestigious magical competitions in Equestria!”

Twilight gave a little giggle. She rolled her head to the side to smile into Trixie's eyes. “With help, of course.”

There was a moment's pause, in which Trixie wondered whether to take being called 'help' as a teasing jab, or just Twilight being cute and meaning to say 'thank you'. Deciding that it was the latter, Trixie simply smiled back.

“So,” said Twilight, “you're not upset that I won't be staying in Manehattan?”

“Not really,” said Trixie, with a casual shake of the head. “I changed my mind about that stable across town – I wasn't planning on staying anyway.”

“Oh, I see.”

A sliver of uncertainty swam across Twilight's face as she broke eye contact and looked down at the sheets. She was still smiling, but it was easy for Trixie to tell that something was wrong.

'Maybe she was hoping I'd try to convince her to stay for another week?'

Trixie considered it, but what she'd said was true – she rather fancied a change of scenery. It seemed strange, even to her, since it was here in Manehattan that she was likely to reap the most benefit from her new title as Champion. There would be fans coming up to her in the street, ponies offering her gifts and free lodging wherever she went, and even big names offering to pay for her to put on magic shows for them.

And yet, she still didn't particularly feel like staying.

Twilight looked up to meet Trixie's eyes again, reminding her that she'd been silent for a bit longer than was normal. With a tiny flick of the head and a pointed cough to refocus herself, Trixie fixed her partner with a sly smile.

“Well, Twilight Sparkle, if this is to be our last night in Manehattan,” she began dramatically, “then we should at least do our best to enjoy it.”

Twilight blinked twice and paused. Though a smile clearly tugged at her lips, she kept her mouth in a firm line. “Did you have something special in mind?”

“As a matter of fact...” Trixie shifted a little closer to Twilight on the bed.

Twilight's pokerface broke, and the smile overcame her.

It was then, with a smirk, that Trixie channelled a now quite familiar spell through her horn. It lit up and cast a hint of its signature, magenta glow over Twilight's face, causing the adorable unicorn to make a questioning face at Trixie.

In an appropriate, magical flash, a corked, tinted bottle appeared in midair just above the two of them, filled with a clear liquid. Another, gentler flash, and two champagne flutes appeared beside it.

Twilight looked up at the bottle, blinked, and then smiled at Trixie. “You're getting awfully good at that,” she said.

Trixie simply gave a modest little shrug.

She uncorked the bottle with magic, sat upright against the headboard and poured them each a glass of Manehattan's finest champagne.

“Here's to Manehattan,” Trixie toasted. “For bringing Twilight Sparkle and I – two fiercely different unicorns – together as friends and partners.”

Twilight bit her lip to hold back a giggle. “We're not all that different,” she said, sitting up next to Trixie and taking one glass in her own magical grip. “I think that working towards the Display just helped us to realise that.”

Trixie nodded grantingly. “Sounds good to me.”

Twilight mimicked the nod. “Of course it does,” she said, clinking her glass against Trixie's in a toast. “Now, tell me about that light spell of yours...”

* * *

When Trixie awoke the following morning, it wasn't a dreamy or romantic sort of feeling that greeted her – despite the warm, cinnamon scent of Twilight's mane, in which her nose was buried. Nor was it a headache from too much wine the night before – they'd only had one glass each.

Her eyes drifted open slowly, and she blinked a couple of times into the gentle darkness of their bedroom. It was very early. By all rights, she should've nestled back down and gone straight back to sleep for another three or four hours.

But she didn't. Instead, she rolled onto her back and drew a slow but noisy breath through her nose. She didn't really feel like going back to her dreams.

Staring at the ceiling of the hotel room, she found her mind beginning to fill with melancholic thoughts. Somewhere along the line, 'this' had become familiar. Waking up in a proper bed, with plush pillows and big, warm, heavy blankets. She'd gotten used to it. Opening her eyes to find herself in a proper bedroom, with walls and windows and a ceiling that was something other than the roof of a travelling caravan or stable. She'd gotten used to that too.

And now, over the past few days, waking up next to someone – next to Twilight. It was starting to feel like she was getting used to that, too.

It wasn't normal. Not for Trixie. She was a showmare. A traveller. A loner. This kind of living was something other ponies took for granted, and Trixie prided herself on being different from the norm. Or, at least, she used to.

Trixie crumpled her nose and rolled her head to the side. Her eyes settled on the firefly lamp on her bedside table. She hadn't covered it before falling asleep, but the insects within had stopped glowing, so there was no more light. She couldn't help but wonder how they felt about their living arrangements.

Were they comfortable, living under the same roof all the time? Did they feel trapped? Did they like to sneak out and do their own thing, to be free?

Both curious and concerned for the fireflies, Trixie magically reached out to open the hatch on the top of the lamp. As soon as they felt the movement, the little lightning bugs lit up and zipped towards the opening, escaping into the room proper.

Trixie watched them flit around for a moment, enjoying the open air, before they buzzed over towards the doors that led out onto the balcony. They dipped through a parting in the curtains and disappeared. After a moment of staring after them, Trixie noted that there was a gentle breeze tugging at the curtains – obviously the door had been left ajar just an inch.

For a brief few seconds, she considered putting it from her mind and shutting her eyes again. But, her head seemed to be having none of it this morning. And, as an aside, she kind of wanted to see where the fireflies were running off to.

Gently pulling herself away from Twilight's warm aura, Trixie slid out of bed and strode over to the balcony doors, pulling them open just wide enough to step outside before closing them behind her. The view from the balcony told that the Sun had a good hour left before it was ready to rise, and as Trixie stepped up to the edge and rested her hooves on the ornate railing, she was met with the picture of a sleeping Manehattan.

This still felt reasonably new, at least. She'd only been in Manehattan for a week, and in the past, Trixie had sometimes stayed in towns and cities for two or three before moving on – though it was rare that she kept company for any longer than that. She didn't stay in touch with anyone once she'd moved away from a place. She'd never had any reason to.

Trixie's eyes settled on a particular building as they scanned the city – one she hadn't even known that she was looking for. The Train Station.

The gears began turning in her head.

She saw the escaped fireflies buzzing off into the city proper, in search of new horizons.

Her face squared, and she let out another sigh through her nose...

'Twilight,

There's something I have to do. I'll be at the train station. See you later x'

After hastily scribbling a kiss on the end of the note, Trixie lay it down on Twilight's bedside table, kissed the sleeping unicorn on the forehead, and hurried out through the door.

* * *

The first hints of dawn light were just creeping over the horizon when Trixie arrived at the platform she was looking for. A few dozen ponies were already hanging about on the platform ahead, all in varying stages of tiredness, and all presumably waiting for their trains.

Trixie was there for one pony in particular.

Her eyes roamed the platform, and it didn't take her long to find him. There, straight ahead and at the very edge of the platform, stood Flaire. He was talking quietly with Rose as the two waited for their own train, and neither of them had noticed her.

Trixie hesitated for all of three seconds before flicking back her mane and starting towards them.

Her hooves felt heavy, as if she were trying to walk with steel horseshoes. She might've blamed it on the early hour, if she didn't know full well that she was wide awake and full of energy. Something about walking towards him, here and now – just waiting for him to turn around and see her – made Trixie feel uncomfortable. Not because she thought he was going to make a scene or perhaps try to put her down. In fact, it was more that she had no idea of what to expect.

It was unnerving, and Trixie didn't like it.

Sure enough, Flaire did turn, and saw Trixie approaching while she was still a fair distance away. He didn't offer a look of surprise, or shock, or anything like that. All that Trixie received was the tiniest hint of a smile as Flaire looked back to Rose and said something to her in a low voice.

Rose's gaze shot curiously over to Trixie, before returning to Flaire. She gave him a look, as if asking whether he was sure. He simply nodded.

With an understanding smile and a nod of her own, Rose turned and made her way down the edge of the platform, towards a nearby bench. Flaire, on the other hoof, started to make his way towards Trixie.

They met half-way.

There was a long silence.

“I wasn't expecting to see you again,” said Flaire. “And something tells me you haven't come to gloat.”

“No,” said Trixie. She wasn't interested in small talk or trading barbs with Flaire today. Only one question remained, and then all business between them would be finished for good. “I have to ask you something before you leave.”

Flaire looked over her face, as if sizing it up. “Alright,” he said, inclining his head as he did. “Go ahead.”

“As if I need your permission,” said Trixie indignantly. “Am I supposed to believe everything you said yesterday? About us 'still being brother and sister', despite everything?”

Flaire smiled and nodded sagely, as if he'd known she was going to ask. He probably had known, and Trixie wouldn't have been surprised if he'd had a whole speech written out for the occasion.

“Believe it or don't, Trixie,” he said. “It's the truth. I invited you here because I missed my sister. Is that so hard to--”

“Because you missed me?” Trixie repeated. “You've got a funny way of showing it. A normal pony would just invite their sister to dinner or something.”

Flaire let out a chuckle. “Well, ours was never a 'normal' relationship, was it?”

“With you constantly trying to one-up me, you mean?” Trixie threw back.

“It seems to have had a positive effect in the long run,” said Flaire. He shook his head. “No. What I meant is that, sadly, I knew that challenging you was the only way I could guarantee that you'd see me.”

Trixie's lip curled and she had to fight herself to keep from stomping the ground in frustration. She managed to bite it back.

“And Twilight?” she said. “If you were just missing me, then what drove you to try and get between me and my partner?”

“Well, it wasn't just that I missed you,” said Flaire, with an annoying half-smile. “I was curious to see how you were doing after all this time. How you'd grown, what you were up to--”

“And?” said Trixie, failing to see how this had anything to do with Twilight.

Flaire's smile seemed to soften a little. “And I can see that you clearly have grown, and changed for the better. You embody traits now that I've never seen in you before. And I suspect that Twilight Sparkle is very much responsible for that.”

“Which is why you were so eager to get between us, of course,” Trixie spat. She couldn't believe he expected her to buy this.

“Like it or not, Trixie,” Flaire said, cool as ever, “I am your big brother. It's my job to make sure that you're safe, and that the pony you've fallen for is serious about you.”

Trixie felt an uncomfortable heat in her face. 'The pony I've fallen for? As if that's any of his business!'

“W-well, I hope you're satisfied!” she snapped, showing teeth.

“I am.”

“Good! Then stay out of my personal business from now on.”

Flaire shook his head, still smiling. “I have no intention of interfering any further. I got what I came for – I got to see my sister again, and found that she has grown into a strong young mare. A pleasant surprise.”

Trixie could only stand there, eyes narrowed and seething rebelliously, as she heard the first rumbling of train wheels since she'd got to the station. A passenger train was pulling in, making its way up along the side of the platform they stood on.

Flaire turned to watch as it ground to a halt with the typical screeching of wheels. Presumably, this was his train.

As the doors opened and passengers began to disembark, he looked back to Trixie with another half-smile on his face. “Well,” he said, “this is my train.”

The silence held between them. Ponies strolled past and around them, some still leaving the train whilst others began to board it. But despite his obvious attempt to end the conversation, he didn't move. Nor did Trixie.

She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure there was anything to say. Much to her annoyance, the heat of her anger was already beginning to die down, and she found herself finally beginning to consider the look on Flaire's face. He was hiding something, as always, but Trixie couldn't put her hoof on it. If she didn't know better, Trixie would say that he was actually being genuine.

His smile seemed to fade as the seconds went on. He lowered his gaze to the platform, and turned his head to one side as if he was trying to convince himself to leave. Or perhaps trying to convince himself not to.

At any rate, it was him that finally broke the silence. After most of the other ponies had finished boarding the train, once again leaving them in relative quiet, he cleared his throat and piped up. “I... I know that I've made a mess of things, Trixie,” he said. His words were quiet, measured, and strangely 'un-Flaire-like'. “As I said, I've always meant the best, but--”

“All aboard!” came a yell from down the platform.

The voice seemed to snap Flaire out of some kind of daze. He looked to his left, and Trixie followed his eyes to see Desert Rose climbing aboard the train. Rose flashed Flaire a look just before she got on board.

When his eyes made their way back to Trixie, they seemed to have regained a bit of their edge. “Well, at any rate,” he said, “I'm sure I'll hear about you in the news from time to time. You're a celebrity now, after all. I... think I can trust that you and Twilight will take care of one another. I know that you're in good hooves now. And that's... all I need to know.”

With that, he gulped and stood there, simply watching Trixie and letting the words sink in. Then he nodded, turned and made for the open train doors.

Trixie was left in his wake, her mind just about beginning to reboot. She watched his tail swish back and forth with his stride as he walked away. And his words did sink in.

In the past, she knew that she would've just shrugged off what he'd said, turned and walked away herself, with her nose high and flank swinging. She still felt the urge to do that, even now, but it wasn't overpowering. She found herself giving thought to his stance, his tone...

She closed her eyes. A long moment passed.

Trixie took a deep breath, opened her eyes and strode forwards. “Flaire!”

Flaire stopped just short of laying a hoof onto the train. Slowly, he turned his head to face Trixie, his expression indifferent.

Trixie flourished her horn and flicked it upwards, bringing forth a single slip of paper from thin air. Flaire eyed it as it floated down in front of his face, obviously not sure what to make of it. “What's this?”

“This is where you can find me if you need to send another letter,” Trixie explained, her tone and face both set straight.

Flaire scanned the paper over a couple of times, and then looked back up at Trixie, confused.

“I wouldn't want you spending all your consolation prize money on another courier to track me down,” she said.

Flaire's expression went from confused to dumbstruck. “Trixie...”

“Stay in touch if you want,” she said, interrupting before he could say anything. Then she took a step closer and narrowed her eyes. “But if you even think of turning up for a surprise visit--”

“I wouldn't dream of it,” said Flaire quickly. With that, and a gentle smile, he took the paper with his own magic and stowed it inside his saddlebags.

“All aboard, last call!”

Flaire stepped up into the train car, but stayed by the door. He smiled at Trixie. “Thank you, Trixie,” he said. “I'll speak to you soon.”

Trixie tried to keep her face dead straight, not wanting to show any sign of emotion, just in case he was bluffing. And if he was, there'd be Tartarus to pay when they next met. “Goodbye, Flaire,” she said.

And that was that.

An attendant galloped along the edge of the platform, closing and locking the train doors one-by-one. As Flaire's was closed, he stepped up to the little, round window in the door and looked out at Trixie. She stayed where she was, watching as the train began to roll along the platform.

She lost sight of Flaire's eyes in seconds, and after seconds more the train rolled all the way out of the station. Gone.

The now-alone Trixie closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. That hadn't been at all like what she was expecting. She felt like she'd done the right thing. As to whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, she supposed she'd just have to wait and see--

“Trixie!”

The yell made Trixie's ears stand up straight. She turned to look over her shoulder, towards the platform entrance, and saw an unmistakably purple figure darting about between the ponies queuing for tickets, knocking aside the ones who weren't swift enough to move.

Trixie raised an eyebrow as Twilight Sparkle broke free from the crowd and caught sight of her.

“Trixie!” she yelled again, breaking into a run. “Wait!”

Trixie had barely opened her mouth and taken a step forward before Twilight disappeared in a flash of white light. A second later, the panicked purple pony re-materialised right in front of her, throwing out her fetlocks to wrap herself around Trixie.

Stunned with surprise, Trixie slowly reached up to pat Twilight on the back, mouth slightly agape as she wondered what was going on.

“D-don't go!” Twilight panted, her voice racked with heavy breaths. “Not yet. W-we still have to fill out the documentation for the newspaper! A-and it'd be rude to leave without saying goodbye to the Princess. And the hotel needs your signature for us to check out and... and I haven't even said... said--” She started breathing too heavily to form words, and squeezed Trixie harder to keep from falling over. Twilight had obviously run all the way here from the hotel, and though the bookish mare was in pretty good shape, all things considered, she clearly hadn't paced herself.

Trixie's lips curled up into an understanding smile. She leaned into Twilight's embrace and ran a hoof through her midnight-striped mane. “And where exactly do you think I'd be going?”

There was an inappropriate pause as Twilight struggled through the next few breaths. “Y-you left a note,” she breathed.

Trixie blinked. She went back over the note in her mind and tried to picture what she might've said to make Twilight think that...

'Ah.'

If she could've rolled her eyes or flicked her mane to effect, Trixie would have. As it was, she just had to put as much 'Trixie' into her voice as she could. “Please, if the Great and Powerful Trixie were leaving, she wouldn't just scribble a note and vanish. You know me better than that.”

It was hard to notice, but Twilight's breathing started to slow down a little almost straight away. Relief showed through in the way that her grip loosened and her chest seemed to relax. “You're not... leaving?” she said.

“Of course I'm not leaving!” said Trixie. “Well, unless of course you think you need a break from all this Greatness and Power--”

“No,” said Twilight, shaking her head against Trixie's coat. “Absolutely not.”

Feeling Twilight shift against her, Trixie moved back and allowed her partner to stand up straight. Their manes brushed against one another's faces as they pulled apart, sending an electric warmth through Trixie's cheek and down her back. Twilight looked up at Trixie with a pair of lavender eyes, silently searching for something.

“...So, everything's alright?” Twilight asked, breathing through her nose now.

Trixie curled her lip and thought about that. Was everything alright? Her exchange with Flaire had gone fairly smoothly, but whether or not it was a good idea to allow him to find her remained to be seen. Besides that, there was the fact that it was ridiculously early in the morning. And she was kind of hungry. And her body was just starting to remind her of how much effort she'd put into the past week by breaking out with groaning aches.

But then, when she really thought about it, standing there and looking into Twilight's gently shimmering eyes, there was really only one answer she could give.

Trixie smiled, and she nodded. “It is now.”

* * *

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long, everyone! I have been a very busy guy lately, just now getting back into this properly.

Good news though, in that the next chapter is already written! I just need to write the follow-up / final epilogue and then I'll release the last two chapters together (with possibly one mini-extra-sort-of-chapter coming shortly after that)

A huge thank you to those of you who have stuck with this story and not written me off as vanished/dead/abducted by aliens. You are all awesome, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

27 - Home

“Eyes On You”

Chapter twenty-seven – Home

Along a dirt road through the rolling green plains, a covered wagon jostled and jumped along under the warmth of the blazing sun. Twilight Sparkle poked her nose out from behind the wagon's fabric folds, the medal around her neck glistening a brilliant platinum. She pushed her mane out of her eyes and blinked into the sunlight, slowly focusing in on the familiar sight in the distance.

Pastel houses wore quaint, straw-thatched roofs like hats, clumsily crowded around the towering town hall that marked the centre of the village. A clear blue river ran its way across the plains and disappeared amidst the townhouses. The branches of a particular tree-library stood out above the rooftops, and overhead, a small group of pegasi cleared away the last of the scarce few tufts of cloud, making way for another broad, sunny day.

Ponyville.

Twilight's face lit up with a warm smile. It'd only been a week, but it felt like forever ago that she'd left for the Display. To finally be back was a wonderful feeling – like a weight lifted from her shoulders, or a nagging thought in her mind finally sated. Not only was she home, but she was just minutes away from seeing her friends again. And if they missed her half as much as she missed them, it was going to be a fantastic reunion.

“Are we there yet?” came a voice from behind Twilight.

She pulled back inside the wagon and turned to face Trixie, who was sat down on her haunches, idly fiddling with a trio of magical orbs of light that circled her horn. She wasn't wearing her cape – it was stowed in the saddlebags by her side – but the champion's medal still hung around her neck.

“Almost,” said Twilight, her voice bubbly. “I can see my library.”

The lights around Trixie's horn faded, and she looked up at Twilight properly, quickly becoming infected by the smile that lit her face.

“Good. I'm starving.”

Twilight let out a little giggle. “Is that all you're excited about?”

“That and the welcome-back party,” said Trixie, brushing back her mane in a lordly fashion. “I hope your friends have prepared a proper welcome for us.”

Twilight's smile grew wider still. “Oh, I'm sure they have. Pinkie Pie would never pass up a chance to throw a surprise party.”

Trixie seemed to shudder at the thought. Twilight couldn't imagine why.

As the wagon drew closer to Ponyville, the two mares picked up their saddlebags, and Twilight triple-checked that she had everything before slinging her own bags across her back. Stuffed as they were with the extra luggage she'd picked up in Manehattan – mainly the dress and saddle she'd bought for the dance – the straps wouldn't fit around her belly to fasten up, so she simply opted for balancing the bags on her back and stabilising them with magic.

She glanced down at the medal still hanging around her neck and smiled. 'I can't wait to tell everyone.'

The wagon slowly came to a stop, and as Twilight waited for Trixie to finish strapping on her own saddlebags, the folds of fabric at the back of the wagon were pushed to one side. A brown-maned stallion – one of those who'd been pulling the wagon – smiled up at them expectantly from outside. “Ponyville! Welcome back, Miss Sparkle.”

With a last smile at one another, Twilight and Trixie started forwards. Together, they hopped out through the gap in the folds and landed on the familiar, green grass of Ponyville Town Square.

For the split second Twilight had to think – whilst she recovered from the shock of landing with a hugely overloaded bag slung across her back – she wondered why the drivers had brought them this far into town, rather than dropping them at the wagon station. Once that split second had passed, it became terribly clear.

“SURPRISE!” came the sound of a hundred voices all at once.

Looking up, Twilight saw before her what must've been half the population of Ponyville. Mares and stallions, old and young, all smiling and meeting her eye with warm looks as she scanned the crowd. For a moment, she felt like she'd somehow wound up back in Manehattan. Except it wasn't the same kind of crowd as that which she'd performed for at the Display. These ponies were her friends and neighbours, and they'd all come out to meet her. To welcome her home.

A wide smile made its way onto Twilight's face, and she felt a heavy sort of happiness come over her – the kind that made her feel like crying.

“What in the hoof is that?” said Trixie, completely oblivious to Twilight's reaction. She was looking up above the crowd, at a banner hanging overhead. Twilight hadn't noticed it before, and she quickly did a double-take as she saw what was written.

'Welcome home, Twilight and Trixie!'

There was no doubt about it. That was Pinkie's hoofwork.

“'Twilight and Trixie'?” said Trixie. “How did they know we were both coming back?”

“News travels pretty darn fast in this part of Equestria,” came a familiar, accented voice.

Both the mares turned to the side, where Applejack led the way for Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy, as the group made their way through the crowd. They were all smiling or grinning, and as soon as Twilight caught sight of them, they broke into a collective run towards her.

“Applejack! Girls!” cried Twilight, the smile overcoming her face as her friends collided with her, wrapping her in a group hug which she was all too happy to receive. She closed her eyes and revelled in the familiar warmth. “Oh, I missed you all so much! It feels like I've been gone forever.”

“We missed you too, Twilight,” said Fluttershy.

“Yeah! It's been, like, six... no, seven forevers since you left!” Pinkie pouted cheerily – in a way that only she could.

“A week is hardly forever,” Rarity chuckled. “But even so, it is far too long to have gone without seeing you, darling.”

It was. It really was, Twilight thought to herself.

She would've been happy to hold the hug for a lot longer, but when her friends began to pull apart, she reluctantly stepped back. Once again, she suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders - she felt light and free and happy... That sentiment became a lot less profound when she realised that her saddlebags had actually fallen off during the hug.

“Ah! No ya don't,” Applejack chided, drawing up alongside and effortlessly slinging Twilight's hefty saddlebags across her own back. “Wouldn't be right for somepony so 'Educated and Well-read' to be carryin' them around all by her lonesome, now would it?”

Twilight drew a hoof up to her mouth to hide her gasp. “How did you--”

“Come on, Twilight!” chirped Pinkie, bouncing forwards to pull her into a crushing hug. “Some of us do read the news, you know.”

Twilight glanced sidelong at Trixie, who simply shrugged.

“The news?”

Pinkie rolled her eyes, smiled and shook her head. She took a step to one side, revealing a certain baby dragon who'd been standing behind her. Spike held a newspaper in his claws.

“Spike!” Twilight cried, practically jumping forwards to meet him. But instead of showing the same enthusiasm to see her back, Spike simply folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at her.

Twilight came to a stop and quirked her head as Spike extended the newspaper to her. Confused, she magically took the copy of 'The Manehattan Gazelle' from his grip and glanced at the front page. Trixie looked in over her shoulder. Their eyes widened.

The headline 'Princess' Student and Showmare win the Manehattan Display!' was pressed in bold letters on the front page. But it wasn't that, nor the article that began alongside it, that drew their eyes.

It was the black and white picture of the two of them locked in a passionate kiss in front of Princess Celestia.

“'Girl stuff', huh?” said Spike.

Twilight felt her cheeks light up a brilliant red. Still staring at the paper, she began to stammer. “I... I... O-oh, well... Feathers.”

Her pony friends gave a collective laugh. Spike, though he was obviously trying to look disapproving, was smirking himself.

“At least they got my good side,” Trixie muttered into Twilight's ear.

Twilight just gave her a sidelong glare.

“I must admit, Twilight,” said Rarity, stepping forwards and smiling too, “I am very impressed. Although I didn't expect you to be one to pose for the cameras quite so... overtly.”

Twilight gawped at her. “I was not posing!”

“Sorry, Twilight, but you were totally posing,” said Pinkie.

“Eeyup,” said Applejack.

“Um, you kind of were,” Fluttershy chimed in.

“Hey!” said Twilight, flustered. “Trixie, help!”

Trixie though, had a smirk set on her face as she looked off to one side. 'Is she enjoying this?!'

Applejack let out another chuckle and patted Twilight on the fetlock to show that she was joking. “Congratulations, sugarcube.”

The four pony friends, along with Spike, glanced and nodded at one another, then pulled back and parted, making room. For a moment, Twilight looked at them in confusion, before she spotted the one pony who'd been missing from the group hug. Rainbow Dash stood there, with a faint smile on her face as she stared back at Twilight.

There was a long pause, during which Twilight stood staring and smiling back at her. As Rarity had said, it hadn't really been that long since they'd seen one another. But still...

“Hello, Rainbow,” she said quietly.

“Hey, Twilight,” said Rainbow.

Rainbow started walking towards her.

Twilight tried to speak up. She felt as if she should say something, but wasn't quite sure what it was. “Rainbow, I... Um--”

Closing the last of the distance between them with a long stride, Rainbow pressed a hoof to Twilight's lips. There was a momentary, breathless pause, and then Rainbow pulled her into a hug. Twilight felt a sudden heaviness in her nose, and her eyes began to water a little. She gladly returned the embrace.

“Congratulations, egghead,” Rainbow whispered. “You kicked flank.”

Twilight nodded and sniffled. “I did.”

Rainbow grunted, as if she'd just noticed something. “You've still got that feather.”

“Of course I have,” Twilight half-chuckled. “It kept me connected to you – and all of you – when I was away. And, believe it or not, it actually helped us win the Display.”

“It did, huh?” said Rainbow, pulling back slowly. “Sounds like part of a good story, you've gotta tell me all about it.”

Twilight was hesitant to release Rainbow from the hug. She knew that her own eyes were glistening with tears, and she felt like the warmth of Rainbow's touch was the only thing keeping them from flowing freely.

But the inevitable happened, and Rainbow drew herself up to look into Twilight's eyes. Immediately, the pegasus tilted her head and offered a typical, whimsical smile. “What's this for?” she asked, reaching a hoof up to clumsily brush away the tears from Twilight's face.

“N-nothing,” said Twilight, shaking her head. As Rainbow finished mopping off Twilight's other cheek, Twilight managed to return the smile. “It's good to see you again, Rainbow.”

Still smiling, Rainbow shook her own head and let out a quiet huff through her nose – the kind that said 'What are we going to do with you?'. Then she lay a firm hoof on Twilight's shoulder and said, “Good to see too, Twi'.”

A couple of voices quietly muttered their approval in the background, followed by a few more, and a few more, until they finally gave way to clapping and stomping hooves. Twilight turned her attention back to the crowd that had come to welcome her home, blinking a couple of times as she realised that they were actually applauding. It was as if they'd just seen her perform another amazing feat of magic... though, again, it was more of a calm, friendly sort of applause than that which she got at the Display.

Rainbow Dash scratched her neck in embarrassment, and Twilight actually hid her eyes for a moment. But it only lasted for a few seconds before they both looked up at one another again. A smirk crossed Rainbow's face as they mutually decided to make the most of it, and she took Twilight's hoof and raised it to the sky, almost toppling her in the process.

“Twilight's back!”

* * *

The party in Sugarcube Corner was lively and excited, and carried on very late into the evening. Streamers and banners with varying messages of 'Congrats, Champions!' hung from the walls, balloons bounced off of the ceiling, and confetti littered the tables and floor, giving the whole place a not-so-subtle, sparkling blue and purple ambience.

Twilight's friends all gathered around to hear her recount the events of the Display, from fighting off Mittens the Chimaera, to what the hotel was like, to the showdown with Flaire and Rose and even – as the evening got later, the conversation got more personal and Rarity began to pry more – the dance at the Mane Event Ballroom. She did try to garner some information from them as well, such as what they'd been up or what had happened since she'd left, but her friends always seemed to steer the conversation back to her.

She didn't really mind though – it was actually quite exhilarating to have a story of an adventure-of-sorts to tell. And it wasn't like she was going anywhere again, any time soon, so there'd be plenty of time to catch up later.

It was a great night, and a long one. Twilight would've been perfectly happy to stay up talking until the early hours of the morning, but after three consecutive yawns in as many minutes, Rarity had decided to put her hoof down.

“Darling, you really must get some sleep,” she said. She had an honest smile on her lips, but her tone held that quiet power of a mother telling her child that it was bedtime. “It's not fair of us to keep you up any longer.”

“But--” Twilight tried to protest, but Rarity would have none of it.

“Ah, ah! There will be plenty of time for us all to speak tomorrow. But there won't be if you end up spending most of the day in bed because you stayed up too late! Now go on, up you go. I'll make sure everyone knows not to disturb you.”

Eventually, Twilight surrendered. Thinking about it as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, she realised that she was pretty tired after all. She supposed that the journey back to Ponyville had taken more out of her than she'd expected. That, coupled with the mounting exhaustion from the Display, had made for one very tired unicorn. Or two, if she counted Trixie. Which she did.

The party was still raging downstairs, though Pinkie had agreed – with a smile and a confusing wink – to keep the music down. Spike had decided to stay up and keep partying with the rest of their friends, so when Twilight closed the door to her loft, it left her alone with Trixie at last.

“How do you ever get used to that amount of energy?” said Trixie, dumping her saddlebags in an empty book alcove.

Twilight smiled, eyes half-lidded, and magicked her own saddlebags up onto the hook on her door. It bent a little under the weight.

“If I ever do get used to it, I'll let you know.”

Trixie gave a mildly amused grunt, which quickly morphed into an infectious yawn. She covered her mouth with a hoof and glanced around the room. Eventually, her eyes settled upon the bed, raised up by a small stairwell.

“You don't have to ask,” said Twilight coolly, starting the climb herself. “Just let me make the bed first.”

She flashed Trixie a smile, which the showmare quickly returned as she followed Twilight up the stairs. “Make the bed? You haven't slept in it for a week, and I remember you making it twice before we left for the Display.”

“Yes, but it never hurts to be thorough,” Twilight chirped.

Trixie rolled her eyes as Twilight began to fluff the pillows and rearrange the duvet with magic. “Right. For a minute there, I forgot who I was talking to.”

“Ooo,” Twilight emoted, before sticking her tongue out at Trixie.

Trixie watched with thoughtful eyes as Twilight made the bed. There was something soothing about watching the way her partner worked her magic now – calm, methodical, structured. Or maybe the relaxing part was simply knowing that when Twilight was done, they could both collapse into bed and get some much-needed rest.

“So, I've been thinking,” said Twilight, still working away at the bedsheets.

Trixie's sleepy smile widened. 'There's a surprise.'

“Since the Display is over now,” Twilight went on, “what do you think you'll do next? Are you going back to your travels? Does your answer from before still stand?”

Trixie gave an airy sort of nod. She'd been wondering when Twilight was going to bring this up. Even so, she hadn't prepared much of an answer.

“I suppose I might,” Trixie said. “After all, with all the fame and adoration from the Display, my travelling performance is bound to be ten times as popular as it ever was. Ponies will come from miles around just to watch.”

Twilight nodded sagely as she laid the sheets down on the bed. “You'd make an even bigger name for yourself – maybe even become 'Equestria's most famous showmare'. Just like you always dreamed, right?”

“Hmm, no doubt about it,” said Trixie, in half-confirmation. Her lip curled up to one side in a smirk. “But it seems that something has... 'come up'... which might make taking my performance back on the road a little difficult.”

Having just put the finishing touches on the bedspread, Twilight sat down atop it and smiled up at Trixie. “Oh?” said Twilight. “And what might that be?”

“Oh, it's just a little thing,” said Trixie casually. She took a seat beside Twilight and fixed her eyes on the bookshelf on the opposite wall, still smirking. “I met a mare from a little town called Ponyville. At first she was kind of annoying, a bit of a know-it-all--” She paused for effect. “--but I think I might just be starting to enjoy her company.”

At Trixie's side, Twilight made an obvious gulping sound. Perhaps she hadn't picked up on the joke, because her voice was quiet when next she spoke. “I hope you're not going to let this mare keep you from your dream.”

Trixie shot her partner a sidelong look, finding that Twilight's gaze had fallen to the floor. “Of course not,” Trixie assured her. “Nothing will keep the Great and Powerful Trixie from her dream!”

Twilight's smile widened with what might've been pride. But her eyes – even if Trixie didn't have a clear look at them – told that pride wasn't all there was.

“Unfortunately,” Trixie continued, “this mare has a life of her own here. She has a home, friends, her studies... She might come with me if I asked her to, and she'd probably really enjoy it, but I wouldn't want her to leave everything behind.”

Finally, Twilight lifted her head enough to meet Trixie's eyes. The smile on her face had fallen a bit, but it wasn't completely gone. More than anything, she looked confused.

“So,” said Trixie, “if I want to stay with her, that means I'm going to have to find a way to keep my show going without travelling around so much.”

Twilight licked her lips anxiously. “And... do you want to stay with me? Er, with 'her'?” There was actually a hint of worry in her tone, which was odd, considering everything the two of them had been through. There should've been no doubt in Twilight's mind.

'Maybe she just needs reminding,' Trixie pondered.

And so, after a smirk and a playful roll of her eyes, Trixie leant in to plant a long kiss on Twilight's lips. She felt Twilight draw a sharp but unstartled breath through her nose, as she accepted the gesture. Trixie was still smirking as she held the touch for a good while, making sure that Twilight got the message.

When she finally pulled back, she saw that Twilight was smiling too – and looking as if she felt a little silly.

“Right,” said Twilight. “Good answer.”

The two shared a quiet giggle.

“Well, in that case, I might have something that can help us out,” said Twilight.

Trixie raised a brow. “Oh, really?”

“I said I'd been thinking, didn't I?”

Trixie smiled. “Alright, humour me – you have something in mind?”

With another giggle, Twilight shook her head. “Nope. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see.”

Trixie raised a brow. “You think you can keep secrets from Trixie?” She leant forwards, so that her snout was barely an inch from Twilight's, giving her bedroom eyes and a sultry smile. “I have ways of making ponies talk, you know?”

Twilight seemed impervious to the threat. She leant in and touched snouts with Trixie, pushing gently back against her. “You're welcome to try, but I think you're going to have to be patient. Think you can manage that, Miss Great and Powerful?”

“Oh, I can manage it,” said Trixie, pushing back against Twilight. “If it comes to that...”

* * *

A week had passed, and it'd been a busy one for Twilight. Despite the showmare's best efforts, Trixie remained in the dark about Twilight's plan, and that thought made the prospect of finally revealing the secret that much more exciting. As she stood out on the grass in Ponyville Park, Twilight took a deep breath of that sweet, country air – something she'd come to miss while staying in Manehattan.

“Ready, AJ?” she called, looking over towards Applejack.

Squinting in the noontime sunlight, the farmpony smiled around the trio of ropes in her mouth and gave a firm nod.

After nodding back, Twilight turned her eyes to the sky. “Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy?”

The two pegasi, each holding a rope of their own, waved to signal that they were ready.

With a satisfied smile, Twilight lit up her horn and grabbed the pair of ropes at her own hooves. Like the others, these ropes were attached to a complex pulley system that rose high into the air, designed and set up by Twilight herself. She'd spent days planning this, and she had a very good feeling that it was going to work.

“Alright, on three! One. Two. Three!”

As one, the four ponies pulled back on their ropes. From the ground in front of them, wooden beams and boards began to rise up, guided by the pulleys. As well constructed as her system was, there was still a lot of wood, so it took a bit of effort.

Twilight ground her hooves into the grass as she focused her magic, and one by one, the wooden pieces began to come together. After barely half a minute, everything had fallen into place.

“Okay, let go!” said Twilight, as she stayed her spell and let the ropes fall to the ground.

Her friends did the same. The pulley system fell away of its own accord, leaving the newly erected wooden structure standing. Just as planned. But they weren't done yet.

“Pinkie Pie, Rarity!” Twilight called. The two of them were on it even before she opened her mouth.

Pinkie rolled her party cannon to a stop before the structure, whilst Rarity stood by the side – horn alight a brilliant blue. As ever, when Pinkie brought out her cannon, the party pony was brimming with excitement and grinning from ear to ear.

Twilight found herself grinning too. “Ready?” she called. “...Fire!”

With a yell of “Woohoo!”, Pinkie reared up onto her hindlegs. She brought her forehooves down and stomped on the back of the cannon--

Bang!

Confetti, streamers and all manner of brightly-coloured decorations shot forth from the cannon towards the structure. On cue, Rarity jumped forwards and reached out with her magic, engulfing the projectiles in the same blue glow as her horn and guiding their trajectory.

A split second later, the blue glow turned to white. It glowed brighter and brighter, and soon reached the point that Twilight had to cover her eyes with a hoof to keep from being blinded. And when she opened them again, her grin had become wide, toothy and practically beaming.

Before her, there stood a grand, wooden stage, literally glistening in the midday sun. A short few steps led up to the sleek, wide performance platform, which had a huge amount of room to move about on. A red curtain flowed gracefully down to make up the stage back, leaving a little room behind it for a couple of ponies to move about unseen. All over the brilliant structure, there hung purple and blue banners, streamers and stars.

And at the very top of the structure, in the centre so that everyone could see, there was a fold-up, wooden carving, which depicted a pair of cutie marks...

Twilight was still smiling madly as her friends joined her to look over the fruits of their labour.

“You sure this 'Champion' thing ain't going to your head?” said Applejack, scrutinising the stage with a doubtful look.

“Huh?” said Twilight intelligently.

“Yeah, narcissist much?” Pinkie chimed in, frowning in mock disapproval.

“What? What d'you mean?” said Twilight, glancing between the two of them and the stage. She hadn't the faintest idea what they were talking about...

A scratchy chuckle drew her eyes upwards. “Ah, don't listen to them, Twi'. It looks awesome!”

“Yes, awesome,” said Fluttershy quietly, smiling as she settled down beside Twilight.

Applejack chuckled and bumped her on the shoulder. “Darn right it does. But I guess we ain't the ones you're aiming to please...”

Realising that Applejack had been making a joke, Twilight let out a quiet sigh of relief. She adopted a smile again and turned to look over her shoulder. “Well, Trixie, what do you think?”

Twilight's friends parted to make way for the showmare who'd been standing in the wings. Trixie ambled forwards slowly, gaze fixed on the beautiful stage before her. Her eyes were wide like saucers as she came to a stop beside Twilight.

“I-it's... very--” Trixie gulped, clearly struggling to find the words. “--very me.”

Pinkie piped up. “Like I said, narci--” Rarity shoved a hoof in her mouth to silence her, offering Twilight a gentle smile, which was gratefully returned.

“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie managed, grabbing Twilight's attention back. Trixie met her eyes now, with a proud and joyful smile on her own face. “It's perfect.”

Twilight tilted her head and gave a wide, illustrious smile of her own. “I'm glad you like it.”

The two of them stayed, staring into one another's eyes as the world began to fade around them. It was one of those moments Twilight had become very fond of, over this past week--

“Hey! Is it ready?”

“It looks ready!”

“It looks awesome!”

The suddenly erupting chorus of voices drew Twilight and Trixie's eyes to the side. There, a fair distance back from Twilight's group of friends, a crowd was gathering. There were about a dozen ponies there, with more coming in to join them from the direction of the town square.

Twilight smiled again and turned to the bemused-looking Trixie. “Shall we?”

Trixie blinked and gave her a questioning look. “...Now?”

Twilight waved a hoof at the gathered crowd. “Everypony here is still waiting to see our performance from the Display,” she said.

“They are?”

“That goes double for us,” said Applejack, the rest of the group rallying around her to one side. They all had varying degrees of expectant smiles on their faces. “And we've got a half-dozen ponies from Canterlot should be here any minute,” she added. “Plus a couple from Manehattan, and those two over there--” She pointed into the crowd. “--they've come all the way from Trottingham.”

“But...” Trixie glanced at Twilight for confirmation. Twilight just smiled. “How? Why?”

Applejack rolled her shoulders. “Might've mentioned to a couple o' my cousins that y'all were gonna be performing today. And they might just've let it slip in casual conversation.” She winked at Twilight.

“It's not exactly a huge crowd,” said Twilight, “I decided to keep things small for now, because I wasn't sure whether you'd like the idea. But if you do, I know we could reach a much bigger audience. And where money is concerned, some of the local stores have already agreed to give us a cut of their profits for the extra business our shows will bring them. We could maybe even sell tickets to private shows if you wanted to, and... um--” She trailed off, realising that she was going into a rant. With a cough to clear her throat and a timid smile, she simply said “What do you think?”

Trixie's eyes were still wide as she moved her gaze from Twilight, past her friends and over the stage and the gathered crowd. For a pony who was never surprised, Trixie certainly looked the part...

When, at last, the showmare seemed to regain sense of herself, she turned to face Twilight again. Trixie blinked a couple of times. And then her mouth crept up into a smile as she offered Twilight a hoof. “I think that our audience is waiting.”

Twilight gave another toothy grin, overwhelmed by the warmth of happiness. Without another thought, she took Trixie's hoof and allowed herself to be pulled forwards. The two of them fell onto all four hooves and trotted up towards the stage, amidst cheers and applause from their little crowd.

“Go get 'em, Twilight!”

“Break a leg!”

Twilight hopped up onto the stage with her partner, already flexing her legs and lighting up her horn to test her magic. With Trixie by her side, she felt all of the excitement and next to none of the anxiety that came with being in front of such an audience of ponies. She was confident, excited, and happier that she'd ever been.

* * *

28 - Unforgotten

Knock knock knock

Rainbow Dash looked up from the Wonderbolts magazine she'd been vaguely scanning, grateful for the distraction. There was only so long you could look at the same pictures before you started going crazy. She sat up on the couch in the front room of Fluttershy's cottage, and cast her eyes towards the door, where the silhouette of a pony could be seen through the closed curtains over the window.

She cast a self-conscious glance towards the staircase on the other side of the room. Fluttershy was upstairs, so she probably hadn't heard the door. So it fell to Rainbow to hop down from her couch and walk over to open the front door. Oh, the hardships of being a loyal house guest.

As she pulled the door open and looked out, she was met with a familiar face. There, just over the threshold, stood a certain lavender-coated unicorn, with a blue feather tucked behind her ear and a soft smile on her lips.

“Twilight!” said Rainbow, smiling back. “What're you doing here?”

“Hi, Rainbow,” said Twilight. “Um, I actually came to see you – Pinkie said you'd be here.” She smiled wider. “May I come in?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure,” said Rainbow. She stood to one side and held the door open. “So long as you're not gonna get all teary on me this time, cool?”

Twilight let out a short giggle as she crossed the threshold. “Yes. Cool,” she confirmed.

Rainbow closed the door behind her and led Twilight over to the couch. They both clambered up and sat back on their haunches, with their forehooves resting on the cushions between their legs.

“So, you're staying here with Fluttershy?” said Twilight conversationally, looking around for the pegasus in question.

“Yeah, just for a couple days,” said Rainbow. “She's been helping me out a lot over the past few weeks. I kinda felt like spending a bit of extra time with her. To say 'thanks', you know?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Is she here now?”

“Just upstairs,” Rainbow indicated with a nod towards the staircase. “Putting one of her foxes to bed – apparently he is sick or something.” She put extra stress on the 'he', as Fluttershy had made perfectly clear – in her adorably apologetic and mousy way – that referring to any of her animals as 'it' was unacceptable.

“I see,” said Twilight, nodding again.

“So what's goin' on?” Rainbow asked, looking across at her friend, who seemed – if Rainbow was any judge – just a tiny bit uncomfortable.

“It's a silly thing, really...” Twilight paused, then shook her head. “Okay, it's not really 'silly', it's just awkward to talk about.”

“Ah,” said Rainbow, understanding immediately. She shifted in place. “You, uh, sure you wouldn't rather talk to Rarity?”

Twilight smiled sweetly at that. “It's not that kind of awkward,” she said, prompting a silent breath of relief from Rainbow. “It's about your feather.” As she said it, her horn lit up a gentle purple as she magically lifted the feather from behind her ear and presented it to Rainbow.

Rainbow cocked her head at the plume. It was... still in perfect condition. It was almost as if it'd only been plucked from her wing an hour ago. While this only came as half a surprise to Rainbow, she was still pleased to see that Twilight had taken good care of it. It meant that she appreciated the gesture.

“I came to say thank you for giving me this,” Twilight said. “And also that I understand now.”

Taken by surprise, Rainbow looked up at Twilight. Their eyes met, and she saw that Twilight was still smiling. “You do?” said Rainbow. She couldn't help but notice that the cottage had suddenly gotten a lot warmer. Her wings flexed on nervous instinct.

Twilight nodded. “And I wanted to apologise for not getting it sooner. I... was a little dense,” she admitted with a sheepish look.

Rainbow gulped and forced herself to take a breath. “A little?” she repeated. “W-well, it sure took you long enough. I like to think I was pretty obvious.” Like many problems, it was probably best if she took this one head on with brute force. She wasn't going to let a little thing like embarrassment knock her down.

“You were obvious. I-I mean, not in a bad way!” Twilight quickly added, seeing the look on Rainbow's face. “I just mean that you were very clear. It was my fault that I didn't notice, I just wasn't looking for signs of... that.”

“A crush?” said Rainbow helpfully. All of a sudden, she found herself smiling too. And, needless to say, it felt more than a little weird.

Twilight looked like she was about to blush and turn away, but she didn't. Instead, she pursed her lips, paused and then nodded. “Yes.”

There was a short pause, during which Rainbow looked up at the ceiling. But even after taking her time to think about it, she really didn't have anything to say to that. It was already pretty obvious that Twilight hadn't been looking for a special somepony. And if that was true, then she definitely hadn't been looking for signs that someone else might be crushing on her.

Eventually, all Rainbow managed was to shrug and say “Well, don't sweat it, I guess.”

Just like that, she felt the temperature start to drop back to normal, her heart began to chill out and her smile became a tiny bit wider. 'Don't sweat it. It's no big deal.'

Twilight didn't seem convinced, and her mouth made a doubtful frown. “Really? So, you're not angry, or upset, or... anything?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah. I might've been before, sure – like when I first saw you hanging out with Trixie, and when we were at that party for her and I kind of... flipped out. And, I guess, maybe for a while after that, I was kind of upset. But I'm a big girl, Twi' – I just needed to clear my head. Getting out of town for a bit let me do that, and now I feel...” Rainbow shook her head and shrugged. “Fine. I feel fine.”

“Really?” said Twilight. She looked as if her doubt was fading away. “Just getting out of town for a couple of weeks got rid of all that?”

“It didn't get rid of anything,” Rainbow clarified. “I still have those feelings, and I still have a major crush on you--” Twilight gulped and shifted at that, obviously flattered. “--but I just look at it differently now. It's... kind of hard to explain, but that kind of break helps you think about stuff with a new pair of eyes. Or ears. Or a new pair of whatever ponies usually think with.”

“And you just went to Cloudsdale... alone?” Twilight prompted.

With a casual wave of her hoof, Rainbow said “Pretty much, yeah. My family owns a holiday home up there. Figured it'd be empty so I thought there was no harm in hanging out there for a bit. I mean, I met up with a couple of friends here and there, and--” She paused to cast a glance towards the stairway. A warm smile graced her lips. “--Fluttershy wrote me pretty much every day. So it's not like I didn't have anyone to talk to.”

“Oh. Well, that's good,” said Twilight awkwardly.

“Yup.”

There was a long silence, and it felt like the conversation had just up and died. Rainbow curled her lip and stared idly at the magazine on the arm of the couch.

Finally, Twilight cleared her throat. “So. About me and Trixie then.”

Rainbow perked up and took a breath. “Yeah, about that.”

“Are you going to be okay with us, um...” Twilight seemed to struggle for the right word.

“Dating?” Rainbow supplied, turning to look at Twilight. The purple unicorn had been looking down at the floor, but turned to meet Rainbow's eyes and gave her a searching smile. “Well, if you'd asked me that, like, a couple months ago, I would've asked what the hay you were doing with a mare like that.” She paused and looked up thoughtfully. “Actually, I'm pretty sure I did say that at some point.”

Twilight made a muffled chuckling sound, but said nothing.

“But now?” said Rainbow. “Now that I've talked to you, and seen you two together – the way you look at each other – I... I get it.” She smiled at Twilight. “I haven't exactly spent any time with her, so as far as I know, she's still the same old Trixie. But whether that's true or not, anypony who can make you as happy as she does--” Rainbow broke off and gulped. “--Anypony who can do that is worth giving a chance to.”

There was the tiniest of twinkles in Twilight's eye as she smiled at Rainbow's words. After a short pause, Twilight leant forwards and wrapped Rainbow in a warm, grateful hug, which Rainbow was glad to return.

Having her fetlocks wrapped around Twilight like that, Rainbow couldn't help but feel a little too comfortable, and allowed herself a little smirk. Hey, she was only equine.

They held one another there for almost a minute before finally drifting apart, both still smiling. “You're a good friend, Rainbow,” said Twilight.

“Yeah, I know,” said Rainbow, grinning.

Rather than settling into silence, the two of them fell into small talk. With the elephant in the room out of the way, it was like any other afternoon they'd met up to hang out and talk – it felt cool, relaxing, and it did a fair bit to brighten Rainbow's mood.

Before too long, Twilight decided to excuse herself, for fear of 'outstaying her welcome'. As if she could, but Rainbow didn't argue. They said their goodbyes, and after watching Twilight leave safely over the bridge towards town, Rainbow closed the door. She was still smiling to herself, albeit less brightly than she had been while talking to Twilight.

“Rainbow?”

She lifted her head and looked across the room to Fluttershy, who was standing half-way down the staircase. She wore nothing but a concerned frown and a very down-to-business cleaning apron.

“Is everything alright?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow smiled at her and waved a hoof. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah everything's cool. What's with the apron?”

“Oh, I just finished putting Mr. Fox to bed, and I was about to do a little cleaning up down here.” Fluttershy paused to curl her lip, just realising that Rainbow had diverted her from her question. “...Are you sure you're alright? You know you can talk to me, if you want to.”

Rainbow chuckled. Fluttershy was sweet. And she probably knew Rainbow better than even Rainbow herself did, sometimes.

“Yeah, I know, 'Shy,” said Rainbow with a smile. “Thanks, and I will.”

That probably didn't satisfy Fluttershy completely, but she didn't seem to want to press the matter. She never really did – that was another cool thing about Fluttershy. She didn't push stuff, she let you come to her. After a moment's more silent staring, the demure pegasus smiled and nodded, before making her way towards the kitchen.

Rainbow herself turned to make for the couch. She stopped half-way, staring at the magazine that still led on its arm, the same one she'd been looking at for what felt like hours. It wasn't like she really needed to talk to anypony – she was cool with Twilight now, and there was nothing else really on her mind. But even so...

“Hey, 'Shy,” she called. Fluttershy looked over her shoulder. “I feel like getting out of here for a bit. You want to get a milkshake or somethin'?”

* * *

1 - Prologue (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter one: Prologue

“…and then Twilight was all like “Bring it on!” and three of the wolves jumped at her! But she rolled out of the way, lifted her horn and 'whoosh!', a massive wave of fire washed over ‘em and sent ‘em all runnin’ scared! The other two tried to catch her off guard, but Twilight was too quick for ‘em! She kicked one of ‘em in the nose so hard that it flew back half way across the clearing! Then she lifted the other one, threw it into the air and…”

Twilight sighed. It seemed that every time Rainbow Dash told the story it had more magic, more wolves, and significantly more violence. To be honest, she had heard Rainbow’s ‘adaptations’ so many times that she was starting to lose perspective on what had really happened. However, she was fairly sure that she had never said “Bring it on!”

Still, the school kids seemed to be enjoying themselves, and even Cheerilee was giggling at some of Rainbow’s ridiculous imitations. When the knock came at the schoolhouse door, nopony but Twilight seemed to notice, so she slipped silently away and answered it.

“Oh, hi Applejack. What’re you doing here?”

“Sorry to bother ya on visitin’ day Twilight, but the Doc sent me. It’s about our injured mare.”

Twilight stepped outside and closed the door. “Is it… bad news?” she asked hesitantly.

“No, it ain’t that. I was just passin’ the Doc in town and she asked if I knew where to find ya. ‘Parently she wants ya to head on down to the hospital tent and give ‘er a hoof with our patient.”

“Hmm… I wonder why she’d need my help?” said Twilight, half to herself.

“Don’t rightly know,” Applejack shrugged. “But she did say ya should head there right quick, so I guess it mus’ be somethin’ important.”

“Okay, I’ll head there right away then. Thanks Applejack.”

“Don’t mention it, sugarcube.”

As the orange pony trotted off towards Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight opened the schoolhouse door and poked her head back inside. “Cheerilee? I’m really sorry but I have to leave early, do you mind?”

“Not at all Twilight,” said the teacher pony with a smile. “Rainbow Dash seems to have things in hoof for the minute. I’ll see you next Friday.”

Twilight turned to tell Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus was far too busy basking in the attention of her captivated audience to notice. The purple unicorn chuckled quietly and closed the door behind her.

The sweet smell of trees and grass filled her nostrils as she set off down the path into town. Celestia’s sun glistened beautifully in the cloudless sky and cast a slender shadow at Twilight’s feet. Normally it would have been a perfect day.

Normally…

But to be honest, she hadn’t gotten much sleep over the past two nights. The gorgeous day, which she would usually have enjoyed gladly, just seemed to wash over her, unnoticed. Still, she promised herself that tonight she would sleep like a baby, with no interruptions or distractions.

Though she supposed that would depend on what ‘the Doc’ needed her help with. Twilight didn’t often get called to the medical tent and when she did it was rarely to receive good news. In fact, the last time she had been called there was when Applejack had poisoned half the town with toxic muffins…

“Twilight, there you are!”

The voice snapped Twilight away from her thoughts. The hospital tent of Ponyville Urgent Care was in sight and Nurse Redheart, wearing her white hat with the red cross, was waving in Twilight’s direction.

“How is she?” inquired Twilight, glancing towards the tent as she spoke. The Nurse’s face suddenly became thoughtful, almost as if she wasn’t sure how to answer the question.

“Well, I--” She was abruptly interrupted by a yell from inside the tent.

“Where have you gone?! Who is that you’re talking to? The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you answer her!”

Twilight recognized the voice – she wasn’t quite sure whether to smile in relief or shudder in foreboding. The last time she had spoken to Trixie was five weeks ago… or maybe six… and they hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms.

The Nurse cleared her throat. “I’ve stabilised her wounds and she is on the road to recovery. However…” She shot a look towards the tent. “She’s been rather… vocal.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, that’s Trixie for you.”

“Actually, you’re the one she’s been demanding to see. That’s why I sent for you.”

“Me?” Twilight wondered aloud. “What would she want to see me for?”

“Hmm? Aren’t you two friends?”

Twilight scoffed. “Ha ha, no – the two of us don’t exactly see eye to eye.”

“Oh…” Nurse Redheart frowned. “I just assumed since you were the one who brought her in. And you’re the only one who’s come to visit her since then.”

“Really, the only one?” said Twilight evasively. “Well, I suppose I was just concerned. I mean it’s not every day that a pony gets attacked by wolves, is it?”

The Nurse nodded understandingly. “And thank goodness for that. Listen... do you think you could do me a favour and talk to her? Of course, if you’d rather not I’ll understand--”

“No, no, I can do it,” said Twilight, raising a hoof and shaking her head. She pushed her way under the blue folds of fabric and stepped in to the tent. The choking stench of antiseptic greeted her nose, prompting an involuntary gag.

“Well it’s about time you got back! The Great and Powerful Tri--”

Trixie went eerily silent as her eyes fell upon Twilight’s face. Her mouth just seemed to go limp mid-sentence and her gaze became unfocused and vacant. Twilight might have found it quite amusing if she hadn’t thought that Trixie was having some kind of seizure.

“A…Are you okay, Trixie?” she asked worriedly.

Trixie’s left eye twitched in response. Just as Twilight was opening her mouth to call the Nurse, the azure pony’s face snapped back into focus. Twilight waited for a moment, expecting Trixie to say something, but she simply pursed her lips, turned around and laid down on her thin medical bed.

‘I knew it!’ thought Twilight to herself. Trixie was obviously still upset with her about the whole ‘Ursa Minor incident’, though Twilight was convinced that there was no good reason she should be. After all, Twilight had only acted to protect Ponyville, it wasn’t as if she was trying to show Trixie up.

Twilight sighed. Trixie probably wouldn’t even believe that if she told it to her a hundred times. So she decided to forget it and let her curiosity do the talking for a while.

“So, um… Nurse Redheart said you asked for me?”

Trixie grunted. “Hmph! The Great and Powerful Trixie asked for the pony who brought her here. She didn't know that it was you!”

Her tone was egotistical, scornful and unkind all at the same time, but Twilight tried not to take offence – Trixie talked like that to everypony.

“Well, now you do,” said Twilight strongly. “So what did you want?”

Trixie thought for a moment before giving her answer. “…You will explain to the Great and Powerful Trixie how she came to be… here!”

“Fair enough,” said Twilight, trotting over and sitting firmly on the grass next to Trixie. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could get back to her nice, calm, Trixie-free day.

Unlike Rainbow Dash, Twilight wasn’t one for ‘enhancing’ aspects of a story to make it more exciting. As such, she just recounted it as accurately as she could – how she had heard Trixie’s cry for help in the woods and rushed to her aid, how she had fought off the gang of wolves that were standing over Trixie’s unconscious body and how she had carried Trixie, atop her back, to this very tent in Ponyville.

“…And you’ve been unconscious for about a day and a half since then,” concluded Twilight. She went back over it in her head to make sure that she hadn’t missed anything, then nodded to no-one in particular.

“You… fought wolves…” muttered Trixie, so quietly that she was probably talking to herself. “…for me…”

“You’re welcome, but I would have done it for anypony,” said Twilight dismissively. It was an honest statement – Twilight would gladly put her life on the line for any fellow pony, even one as arrogant and unpleasant as Trixie.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie was not expressing gratitude!” shouted Trixie defensively. “She did not ask for your help, Twilight Sparkle, nor did she need it!”

One glance at Trixie’s clawed cutie mark and her cast-wrapped foreleg would be enough to tell anyone different. An angry heat welled up inside of Twilight so quickly that she didn’t even have enough time to suppress her raised voice.

“As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember you screaming ‘Help!’ so loudly that I could hear it across half the forest!”

Trixie sat bolt upright and glared at Twilight. Twilight glared right back, just daring Trixie to lose her temper, which was probably not the wisest course of action. But oddly enough, Trixie backed down… She huffed loudly, as if to say ‘Why bother?’, then turned around and laid back down on her bed.

As the drawn out minutes of silence dragged on, the air of tension began to dissipate. Twilight’s temper slowly subsided and she wondered what had come over her. What was she doing? This wasn’t like her at all… She was supposed to be here to calm Trixie down and here she was shouting at her! She never got that angry towards anypony… ever! Trixie was annoying, but not that annoying.

“I’m… sorry Trixie,” muttered Twilight. “I didn’t mean to shout. I guess I’ve just been worr--”

“It’s fine,” Trixie interrupted. Twilight threw a questioning glance at the back of her silver-maned head.

“It is?” asked Twilight, not sure that she had heard Trixie properly. The azure pony nodded visibly in confirmation.

“Oh, well… that’s good…” The purple unicorn hid her surprise poorly. Trixie backing down from a challenge and accepting an apology? Maybe there was hope for her yet. Or maybe her wounds had just taken a lot out of her and she would be back to normal tomorrow.

“So, um…” Twilight wasn’t quite sure what to say from here. “Was there… that is, did you want to… talk about anything else? You know, while I’m here?”

“No, that will be all,” said the blue mare quietly. “Trixie will let the Nurse know if there is anything else…”

“Um… all right then. See you around I guess.” Trixie didn’t offer a farewell – she seemed to be focusing on the empty bed across from her. Twilight got to her hooves and made her way outside, still a little uncertain about how to feel.

“How did it go?” asked the Nurse hesitantly.

Twilight considered her answer carefully. “…She seems… calm now, I don’t think she has any more questions…” That was almost true – it was obvious even to Twilight that there was something else Trixie had been meaning to say. As to what it was though, that was anyone’s guess.

“Hmm…” A sudden thoughtfulness spread across Nurse Redheart’s face. “Twilight, I wonder… would you come over here for a minute?” Twilight gave a curious look as she followed the Nurse to a spot several paces away from the tent.

“What’s the matter?” asked Twilight.

“Well…”

When the Nurse had finished explaining, Twilight found herself at something of a loss. “Um… wait, let me see if I have this right… You want me to let her live with me?”

The Nurse frowned and nodded. “I know it’s a lot to ask, Twilight Sparkle, but Trixie’s recovery will be a long one. Frankly, it could be months, and I know from experience that…”

Her mouth kept moving, but Twilight wasn’t paying attention – she was absorbed in her thoughts. Live with Trixie? That was the worst idea she had ever heard! Take care of her night and day? She didn’t have time for that! Spend the rest of Celestia-knows how long with her? That was simply preposter--

“Sure, I’d love to!”

* * *

‘Why, why, WHY did I say that?’ Twilight hit herself in the face with the book she was levitating in the hopes that it would wake her up from some eerily lucid dream. It didn’t work…

“Y’know Twilight, you’re gonna hurt your head if you keep doing that!”

Twilight shot a glance up at the concerned-looking, pink-maned party pony. She had a point… besides, why would the book work the third time when it hadn’t the first or second? Maybe she needed something harder…

Luckily for Twilight, Pinkie saw her eyes fall on the dusty metal footlocker and decided to confiscate it before the purple unicorn did anything drastic. Twilight sighed.

A leaning tower of books with small, purple legs hobbled into view. Spike huffed as he plonked them down next to the door with the rest. “Why are we doing this again?”

“I told you Spike – somepony is coming to stay with us for a while. We need to clear a room for her.”

“Yeah, but you still haven’t told me who it is!” The dragon’s eyes suddenly began to glisten like emeralds. “Is it… Rarity?!”

“Sorry, but no.”

“Oh…” Spike frowned sadly. “Then who? Rainbow Dash?”

“No.”

“Applejack?”

“No!”

“Me?!” exclaimed Pinkie, her huge, excited eyes threatening to swallow Twilight whole.

“No, no, no!” said Twilight loudly, shaking her head from side to side. “It’s Trixie!”

There was silence. They both gawped at Twilight in shock. “W… What was that, Twilight?” muttered Spike timidly, his green eyes unblinking.

“Trixie,” she repeated. “She’s… coming to stay with us for a while.”

The two others gawped again. Pinkie reached out slowly and pinched Spike’s arm. “Ow!” he yelled, knocked out of his daze. “What was that for?!”

“You were hoping you were asleep!” Pinkie smiled. “I was trying to wake you up!”

Twilight considered asking Pinkie to pinch her too, but if it hadn’t worked on Spike then there wasn’t much hope for her… The baby dragon, still rubbing his arm, turned to Twilight.

“You’re serious, aren’t you? W… Why? Why would Trixie be coming to stay with us?!”

The honest answer was ‘Because my stupid mouth suddenly decided that it’s allowed to break the chain of command!’, but she didn’t want to make it sound like the situation had arisen because of a simple slip of the tongue… which, in reality, it had…

Instead, she went for a more empathetic answer. “Trixie is in a bad way, Spike. She needs a warm place to stay and…and a friend to help her out--”

“Friend?!” repeated Spike. “When did you two become friends?”

“We’re not! I don’t even like her!” Twilight could sense her face becoming flushed. She turned to Pinkie for help. The party pony nodded understandingly, placed her half-eaten cupcake on the floor and trotted over to Spike.

“Spike, old buddy!” she said cheerfully, throwing her foreleg around his shoulders. “Step this way and I’ll explain everything in a snap!” She ferried him over to the corner of the room and began talking excitedly. “Once upon a time there was a pony – a pink pony called Princess Pinkamena…”

Twilight sighed in relief. She magically grasped a hoof-held mirror and made it hover in front of her. A weary, purple unicorn stared back at her with a red blush slowly fading from her cheeks. Twilight frowned thoughtfully at the unicorn. She didn’t ‘not like’ Trixie, it was just that she could be a bit difficult to get along with sometimes… or more like all the time.

Now that Twilight thought about it, they hadn’t exactly spent much time together since they met. Maybe an hour at most. That wasn’t enough time to judge somepony and Twilight knew it. Maybe Trixie did deserve a chance. Twilight chuckled quietly, it would have been useful to have known that a moment ago.

“…and there you have it!” finished Pinkie loudly. “So, you understand now, right?”

Spike looked part stunned, part angry and part hopelessly confused. “Pinkie Pie… you just recited a recipe for making chocolate fudge cake… how the hay is that supposed to help?!”

“Spike!” the two ponies exclaimed in a scolding tone. The baby dragon went red.

“Sorry for the language…” he said quietly. “But I just don’t get it! You didn’t say anything about why Trixie has to stay here!”

“Ugh.” Pinkie rolled her eyes as if Spike was being dense. “It’s a metaphor, duh – The fudge represents the meaning of friendship and sticking by your fellow ponies! The two bowls of frosting tell us how important it is to be kind and share with others! And the forty-two minutes in the oven… hmm, well I’m not quite sure what that’s about, I guess it’s the perfect amount of time to get the cake nice and crunchy on the outside but keep it soft and sticky in the middle! Mmm.”

Twilight and Spike glanced bemusedly at each other as drool started to leak from Pinkie’s open mouth. “…All right, fine. I guess you must be too young for that one. But I have loads more…Oh, I know! There once was a mare from Manehattan…”

“Wait,” interjected Twilight, to Spike’s relief. “Thanks Pinkie, but I think I can manage it now.” Pinkie shrugged and happily went back to tidying the room whilst humming an upbeat tune and munching on her cupcake… which now seemed to have regenerated most of its mass… No, it must have been a new one, but where was she getting them?

Twilight shook it from her mind and turned to Spike. “Look Spike, I know you don’t like Trixie, but think about it – what do you really know about her?”

“That she’s an in-surfable braggart!” Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. “What?” shrugged Spike. “That’s what Rarity calls her…”

“I think you mean ‘insufferable’,” chuckled Twilight. “And yeah, she might seem like that at first glance, but neither of us have actually gotten to know her. When we first got to Ponyville, I thought everypony here was crazy! But look how wrong I was about them…” Here she threw a nervous glance at Pinkie Pie, who was now shadowboxing with a determined look on her face.

“Maybe you’re right, Twilight,” Spike said thoughtfully. “But how come we’re the ones who have to take her in?”

“Because we have a spare room and I’ve already volunteered us! So there’s nothing we can do about it. For the next few months we’ll just have to be open-minded and understanding.”

Spike let out a conceding sigh. “Okay Twilight…”

“I’m sure she’ll warm up to us eventually, Spike,” she said reassuringly. “It’s just going to take some time.”

“I guess so…” He went back to clearing out the bookshelves in silence. Twilight felt a little bad to see him like that. Resolving to buy him a couple of rubies later to cheer him up, Twilight went back to cleaning.

Between the three of them, they gradually moved everything down to the basement, besides the books of course, which Twilight managed to fit into the main library. The room was relatively small compared to Twilight and Spike’s, and it looked rather empty without the bookshelves and study desks.

So, under Twilight’s instruction, the three of them set about ‘fixing the place up’…

While Pinkie and Spike went down to the basement to find some proper furniture, Twilight used her magic to clear the leaves outside the round window. She had actually never looked out of this window before. Beyond it was a beautiful, west-facing view of the town below, filled with various ponies going about their late afternoon business.

Spike and Pinkie returned with a wooden stool, an old empty dresser and what Spike called a ‘bedside table’, which was actually just a big tree stump. Mid-way through arranging the furniture, Pinkie gasped and dashed out of the room, returning five minutes later with a comfortable looking, one-pony bed.

“Pinkie, where did you get that?” asked Twilight. “And… how did you get it up the stairs?”

“It’s my old one! I got a new one last week which is all pink and bouncy and fun! We were gonna give this one away anyway so I thought you might as well use it!”

Twilight took note that Pinkie hadn’t answered her second question, but the unicorn had a distinct feeling that any answer she did give would probably just create more confusion. They set about arranging the last of the furniture, then laid back on the red-sheeted bed and admired their work.

“Hey, it’s not half bad!” said Spike proudly. “But the walls do look a little blank…”

“Yeah, maybe we could put up a painting or something?” Twilight wondered aloud.

“How ‘bout some streamers? They’re always fun!” Pinkie blew cheerfully on the party horn in her mouth. The other two looked at her quizzically, but knew better than to ask where she had gotten it. Instead, Twilight chuckled and looked up at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure streamers are the way to go, since she’s trying to rest up and all. What about--”

She broke off as a fleck of sunlight graced her eyelid and forced it shut. Twilight felt too comfortable to turn around, so she simply let her head roll backwards over the other side of the bed.

“Oh, it’s nearly sundown!” exclaimed upside-down Twilight, looking out of the window. She hastily hopped to her feet, followed quickly by a startled Spike and an excited Pinkie Pie.

“I have to go and pick up Trixie now, guys. Thanks so much for all your help!”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie saluted playfully. “Just don’t forget to help me clean up after my party next week!”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Twilight smiled back at her.

“Great, see you then! See ya later, Spike-o!” With that, Pinkie hopped merrily out of the room.

“Spike-o?” repeated the baby dragon.

Twilight chuckled and shrugged. “Just a Pinkie thing I guess. Anyway, thanks again Spike, couldn’t have done it without you.” She leaned forward and laid a kind kiss upon the baby dragon’s forehead. Naturally, he recoiled and started rubbing the spot with his elbow.

“Ugh, Twilight!”

Twilight chuckled as the two of them made their way down the stairs. “Sorry, Spike,” she said with a smile – though she wasn’t really sorry.

After waving goodbye to Spike, she left the library. Barely three seconds had passed before she burst back in, up the stairs and into the new bedroom. She focused her magic on the bed, compulsively straightening the untidy, crumpled sheets and tucking them in at the sides.

‘Ah, much better’ she thought to herself.

* * *

Dusk was looming just beyond the horizon when Twilight at last reached the medical tent. She had only seen a hoof-full of other ponies on her way here and assumed that most of them were already back home for the evening.

“Oh, Twilight. You’re back,” said the cheerful-looking Nurse. She laid her clipboard on the ground and trotted over to the purple unicorn. “Have you come to collect her?”

Twilight simply smiled and nodded. She wanted to keep her mouth closed to avoid any more ‘slip ups’. Nurse Redheart patted her on the shoulder.

“It’s really considerate of you to do this for her, Twilight. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it…” Twilight’s raised eyebrows said that she thought that was highly doubtful. “…well, in time perhaps!” the Nurse added uncertainly. “Now wait right here, I’ll just go and fetch her.”

The Nurse pushed her way under the folds of fabric and into the tent. Muffled sounds came from inside, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel a bit curious. She pressed her ear to the ‘wall’ of the tent and tried to make out the voices.

“…yes, she’s here now, are you ready?”

“…The Great and Powerful Trixie does not want to go with Twilight Sparkle! She would rather stay here in the cold!”

“Now, don’t be silly. Twilight is a very nice pony and she’s going to take good care of you--”

“The Great and Powerful… OW!” A gust of wind blew past Twilight’s ear and stifled Trixie’s next few words, but by the tone of her voice, Twilight imagined that they were not pleasant ones. “…what was that?!”

“Just something for the pain. You’ll need it if you’re going to walk across town.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need your medication! She is not going anywhere! Besides, she can tolerate such minor pain with ease… OW!”

“I wouldn’t try to move that foreleg if I were you. Here, let me help you up.”

“I don’t need your h…help…”

“That wasn’t an offer…”

“Take your h…hooves off of Trixie… She can… she can take… care of herself.” Trixie’s voice was becoming slow and lazy, as if she were falling asleep.

A moment later Nurse Redheart emerged from the tent and held the flap open for Trixie. Twilight wasn’t sure what to think as she saw the azure pony stumble clumsily out into the evening air, her left foreleg still held to her chest by a woollen cast.

Her eyes were droopy, she was swaying from side to side… she reminded Twilight very much of a certain orange pony during Applebuck season. When she caught sight of Twilight, her mouth twisted sluggishly into a goofy grin.

“Oh… Helloooo Twi—light Sparkle!” she slurred with a cheerful chuckle. “Did you know… you’re all… purple? Ugh…” With that last hazy remark, Trixie toppled over forwards and struck the ground face first, snoring heavily.

Twilight looked up at the Nurse in shock, but to her surprise, the white pony was giggling. “Ha, ha! Don’t worry Twilight, that’s just the sedatives kicking in. I thought this way it would be easier to get her to ‘co-operate’. She’ll come to in about twelve hours… but when she does, just remind her to… take it easy for a while…” The Nurse was still snickering quietly.

“Um, isn’t that a little… unethical?” said Twilight worriedly, forgetting her ‘mouth-closed-no-slip-ups’ idea.

“Ha, ha!” laughed the Nurse again. “I know what I’m doing Twilight. She’ll thank me after a good night’s sleep, and so will you I expect.” The Nurse had obviously noticed the bags under Twilight’s eyes. “Now, would you like a hoof in getting her home?”

“That’s alright, I’ve got her.” Twilight aimed her horn at the comically floppy azure pony and magically lifted her into the air. Trixie snorted and giggled faintly as she rose, whilst drool began to appear at her mouth.

The purple unicorn couldn’t help but smile. She did look kind of cute. ‘Whoops!’ Twilight caught Trixie just before she hit the ground and threw a nervous glance back at Nurse Redheart, hoping she hadn’t just seen that. The white pony simply gave her a knowing smile and said “Good night, Twilight.”

As she trotted off towards the library, Twilight kept Trixie suspended a short distance ahead of her. A warm, orange luminescence flooded over the town as Celestia’s sun began to sink beyond the western horizon. Twilight was far too tired to enjoy it as much as she would have liked, but she did smile at the glow it gave to herself, Trixie and the single, stray butterfly that fluttered past.

Bonk!

“Oh s--tupid doorframe!” muttered Twilight. Trixie didn’t wake, she just mumbled something unintelligible as Twilight took a step back and lowered her through the doorway.

Spike was just coming out of the kitchen wearing a dark blue night-robe and carrying a mug of what was presumably hot milk. The second he caught sight of Trixie he burst into uncontrollable laughter, spraying a mouthful of liquid half way across the room.

“…ah, ha, ha! You… you put a sleeping spell on her? Ha, ha! Great thinking Twilight!”

“I didn’t do this!” said Twilight defensively. “Nurse Redheart sedated her!”

Spike snickered again. “Well then she’s a genius!” Twilight rolled her eyes as the baby dragon continued to chortle to himself. It wasn’t that funny.

“Come on, time for bed.” Twilight lead the way, careful to keep the hovering Trixie away from the floor, walls and ceiling, which was even more difficult than it sounded. It took a fair bit longer than usual, but she made it to the small landing half way between the top and bottom floors. There on the left was the entrance to what would now be Trixie’s bedroom.

“Go on up, Spike,” Twilight called back as she carried Trixie through the doorway. “I’ll be there in a minute.” The baby dragon nodded and complied whilst Twilight made her way over to Trixie’s bed.

Carefully, she pulled back the sheets and lowered the sleeping unicorn’s head softly onto the pillow. Trixie frowned and muttered as Twilight released her spell. The purple unicorn magically pulled the duvet up to Trixie’s chin and tucked in the sides, after which the frown under her nose shifted into a slight smile.

Twilight took a step back and stared for a moment. There was something about Trixie’s face right then that gave her pause. She looked utterly serene – like she didn’t have a care in the world, like her injuries weren’t even there – just completely ‘at peace’. That expression was both endearing and inspiring, and Twilight genuinely considered simply staying to watch it for a while.

Then she smiled and shook her head dismissively. Her last thought before she trotted out of the room was ‘I’d probably look the same if I’d just been sedated with a horse tranquilizer…’

* * *

Author's Note

The story’s title “Eyes On You” is based heavily on the name of the song which goes through my head the whole time I’m writing it: “Eyes On Me” by Faye Wong. I’m thinking of that as a kind of ‘background theme’ to my story and it should fit in pretty well with some of the scenes I have planned for later.

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think, leave suggestions and tell me about any mistakes I’ve made. Enjoy the rest of the story!

10 - Friendship Is Complicated (Trixie)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter ten: Friendship Is Complicated

The azure unicorn in the mirror above Trixie's dresser batted her eyelashes temptingly. Trixie smirked back at her with pride. Her eyes were perfect, her mane was perfect, her horn was perfect, even the morning sunlight that caressed her coat was perfect. Well worth the effort spent getting up before sunrise to give herself a 'quick' makeover before breakfast – just as it had been worth it every morning since that night on the hilltop.

As usual though, the reflected sight of the scar across her cutie mark put a damper on her spirits. A frown danced across her face as she wondered how much longer it would take to heal. It wouldn't be too long, would it? After all, her physical therapy had only been going on for a couple of weeks now, and already she could walk unsupported again. Not that she'd let Twilight in on that little detail, of course...

Casting a glance to the newly-acquired cloak-stand beside her door, she pondered over the cape the hung from its top branch. It was a shame to cover up such a Great and Powerful figure as Trixie's, but the scar really didn't give her much choice. As she magically slung the cape around her neck and fastened the clasp, there came a knocking on her bedroom door.

“Just a minute!” Trixie called out. Snapping around to face the mirror again, she made a few quick, magical adjustments to her mane – making sure that it fell just right around her horn – before putting on her brightest smile. “Alright, come in.”

The door clicked open, and Trixie's smile grew doubly wide at the sight of the lavender mare who crossed the threshold. “Good morning, partner,” Twilight chirped with a smile of her own. “Did you sleep well?”

Trixie shrugged indifferently. “As well as usual. I have to admit – this room is starting to feel a little big for just one pony.”

“Yeah,” muttered Twilight, a thoughtful frown crossing her face as she looked around. “Well, you know I've been trying to find more things to fill it up with, but--”

Trixie raised a hoof to stop her. “That wasn't a complaint.”

The thoughtful look on Twilight's face turned to one of surprise, then sheepishness. “Oh, right...” There was a brief, smiling pause before she drew up to her full height and cleared her throat. “Well, anyway, if you're done up here, let's go downstairs. Breakfast is waiting.”

She held the door open whilst the showmare shambled over, forcedly wincing the first couple of times she put pressure on her 'bad' forehoof. It probably wasn't very nice to pretend it still hurt – to make Twilight worry – but it was really more of a white lie. Twilight liked to help Trixie, and Trixie was just unselfishly making it a little easier for her. What was wrong with that?

As the two of them took the stairs – side by side and comfortably close – the lavender unicorn glanced sidelong at Trixie. “You're looking very pretty this morning,” Twilight observed. She narrowed her eyes and smirked in mock accusation. “You're not making extra effort for somepony, are you?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Don't flatter yourself, Sparkle,” she said lightly, even as a tinge of red crept into her cheeks. As to why exactly she'd been feeling the need to impress Twilight with her looks lately, Trixie had no idea. Maybe it was just a natural impulse – to want to look good for your close friends. She couldn't remember feeling the same for anyone before though...

Shaking her head to clear it, Trixie returned the lavender unicorn's sidelong look. “Don't think I haven't noticed what you've done with your mane.”

Twilight stopped and impulsively ran a hoof past her horn. “Oh, you noticed! What do you think?”

If that wasn't a confession that the change was for Trixie's benefit, then nothing was. That confirmed it – if Twilight felt it too, then it had to be a close friends thing. Or, at least, it had to be a 'whatever she and Twilight were' thing... 'Partners' didn't really say it all – that was more of an official title. The proper word escaped her.

Remembering that Twilight had asked her a question, Trixie cleared her throat. “It... well...” Even if it was a nice gesture on Twilight's part, Trixie didn't really like the new look. “The whole 'flowing' style doesn't really suit you,” said Trixie, opting for the honest approach as she trotted onwards. “I liked your old mane a lot better.”

“Oh, you did?” said Twilight, suddenly sounding uncertain. Trixie smiled to herself, saying nothing as she made her steady way downstairs. She'd gotten about half-way down before Twilight shook herself off, caught up and offered a smile. “Yeah, me too. I was just, you know, trying out something new. I'll change it back tomorrow.”

“If you're looking for suggestions, I think you'd look cute in curls,” Trixie offered with a smirk.

Twilight giggled quietly. “I'll keep that in mind.”

As usual, breakfast brought with it a healthy helping of cinnamon-apple pancakes, accompanied by a checklist detailing the day's itinerary. Usually, that would include equal parts walking therapy, whatever business Twilight had in town, and practising for the Manehattan Display. Or, rather, discussing how they might practise for it...

“Different every year,” Twilight muttered, frowning at the checklist as she chewed a mouthful of pancake. “What kind of competition is that? It sounds so... chaotic.”

Despite the feeling that she'd had this conversation several times before, Trixie decided to humour her partner. “It's to keep the event fresh and exciting – to surprise the audience and competitors both. Of course, nothing surprises Trixie, so I'll be prepared for whatever they throw at us.”

“I wish I could be so confident,” Twilight grumbled. “I prepare by studying. But if there are no details or criteria then what do I study?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “You don't study anything. The event isn't even about preparation, it's about talent. And you don't need to worry about that.” She winked at Twilight.

The lavender mare's frown twisted into a smile. “Yeah... I guess I've got the Great and Powerful Trixie with me, after all.”

Trixie opened her mouth to say that wasn't what she meant, but ended up closing it again. Sometimes, Twilight Sparkle was just too modest for her own good. Not that Trixie minded accepting a compliment.

“Anyway,” said Twilight, offering Trixie a sheet of paper. “Do you want to look at the list?”

Taking the list in her own magic, Trixie brought it up to her nose before casting Twilight a glance. “You really are going to do this every day, aren't you?”

Twilight just smiled.

With a shake of her head, the showmare turned to scan the list. Sure enough, it was the same as usual – breakfast, walking therapy, study, lunch, more study... Trixie sighed. “Didn't we just establish that studying isn't going to help?”

“I was thinking that we could study the history of the event,” Twilight explained with a hopeful smile. “We might be able to find some sort of pattern in the past activity assignments! Of course, I don't expect to find something obvious. At best, we'll be able to narrow down the list a little. But then we'd at least have a higher probability of practising for an activity that's actually going to come up in the event!”

Trixie stared blankly at her partner, who still had the same smile on her face. Unsurprisingly, it was clear that she wasn't joking. And, somehow, Trixie didn't find the prospect of two weeks' studying with Twilight all too appealing.

An idea came to her. Not a particularly brilliant idea, by Trixie's standards, but it would do. She flattened the list down on the table between them and cleared her throat. “Twilight – I have a better idea.”

Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Oh? You do?”

Trixie pushed the list to one side and got to her hooves, leaving a couple of half-eaten pancakes on her plate. “Follow me,” she said simply.

As she started towards the door, she heard Twilight hesitate. Deviating from her checklist probably made the obsessive unicorn a little uncomfortable, but Trixie was convinced that her own idea was better. By the time Trixie had reached the door and turned around to check on Twilight, the lavender unicorn was already rising from her seat.

* * *

Barely minutes later, Trixie found herself leading Twilight across an open, grassy field just on the outskirts of town. “Instead of taking a gamble and hoping that we find something useful in your books,” Trixie began, breaking the silence at last. “Why don't we do something that we know is going to help?”

“...Because there isn't anything that we know is going to help?” Twilight guessed.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Actually, there is. We know that every pair in the competition is going to need at least this one thing.”

“And what 'one thing' is that?” asked Twilight.

Trixie smirked, stopping so suddenly that Twilight took a few steps onwards before noticing. “Coordination,” said Trixie. With that, she flicked her horn – summoning forth a blue hoofball from thin air. It fell to the ground and bounced a couple of times before settling in the grass. Twilight eyed it suspiciously.

Judging by the look on her face, she'd probably never ever seen one before. Granted, that wasn't too strange – unicorns didn't usually have much need for pegasus sports toys.

Twilight took a step closer and brought her nose down to nudge the ball experimentally. “Coordination, huh? And... what's the ball for?”

Grasping the ball with her magic, Trixie hovered it up above their heads. “For practise – we're going to practise coordinating our magic, focusing on this ball.”

“...Why?” Twilight asked, looking up at her with a creased brow.

Trixie groaned. “Ugh! Because a duo act is all about timing – about casting your spells at exactly the right moment, so that they land in time with your partner's. Make sense?”

Twilight stared at the ball for a long moment. Just as Trixie was about to try and explain again, the lavender unicorn looked up at her, smiled and nodded. “I understand. Where shall we start?”

Trixie blinked, before returning the smile. “Well, since you're a beginner, we'll start with the some basic telekinesis.” Twilight frowned a little at the word 'beginner', but she shook it off a moment later.

Taking a few steps back, Trixie left the ball in the middle of the ground between them. Twilight mimicked her on the opposite side. “Alright,” said Trixie. “On 'three', we'll both push against the ball, okay?”

“Um, actually, Trixie, I'm not so sure that's a good--”

“One.”

Twilight shifted in place. “I really don't think--”

“Two.”

Twilight shook her head and sighed.

Trixie smirked and narrowed her eyes as she channelled magic into her horn. Knowing that Twilight's magic was at least a little bit physically stronger than her own, Trixie decided to push as hard as she could...

“Three!”

Both spells fired off and struck the ball at almost exactly the same time. Trixie's eyes bugged out as a blue blur shot towards her and hit her square in the face.

As the ball fell back to the ground and started to roll to one side, Trixie stared, wide-eyed at Twilight, who was gawping in horror. Trixie's nose twitched and her bottom lip trembled.

“Ohmygosh, Trixie!” Twilight squealed, hopping forwards and leaning in. “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that, I swear! Are you oka--”

Dropping the façade, Trixie channelled her magic again. The ball shot towards Twilight and struck her square on the flank, prompting a startled yelp from the lavender unicorn as she stumbled forwards. As their necks crossed, Trixie smirked to herself. She'd only been meaning to startle her partner, but the accidental hug was a welcome bonus.

When Twilight pulled back, it was with a dark frown on her face. Trixie had to purse her lips to keep from giggling. Twilight didn't fare as well – after a few seconds staring, her frown shifted into a little smile and she started snickering. “D-Don't do that, Trixie!” she managed shakily. “I thought I'd hurt you!”

Trixie flicked back her mane proudly. “You should know better – did you forget how Great and Powerful I am?”

Twilight kicked her playfully in the leg, then turned to the side and closed her eyes. “Well, you still scared me.”

With a shake of the head, Trixie patted Twilight on the side reassuringly. 'Silly mare,' she thought with a smile.

As the morning went on, the two of them dialled down the power and practised pushing and pulling the ball together. Even with verbal cues, it was a lot harder to find a balance in both spell force and timing than Trixie had first thought.

Eventually, they reached a point where both spells would strike the target together, and it would roll a few inches in one direction. Then they would adjust their spells, only for the ball to roll back in the other direction the next time. If Trixie had been doing this with anypony else, she would've been frustrated out of her mind after the first twenty minutes. With Twilight there for company though, it was actually quite an enjoyable practise session.

Somewhere along the line, they ditched the verbal cues in favour of a simple nod, which made conversation a little easier and the whole thing seem less mechanical.

“Hey, Trixie?” said Twilight as the ball rolled to a stop beside her hooves. “Can I ask you something?”

Trixie magically moved the ball back to the centre. “Isn't that what you've been doing?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at her partner.

Twilight frowned and hesitated. “...I meant about Flaire.”

“...Oh,” Trixie muttered. Honestly, she'd been hoping that Twilight wouldn't ask – which was a silly thing to hope, really. After all, she was going to be competing against him, it was only natural for her to want to know her enemy...

Twilight waved a hoof and shook her head hurriedly. “If you don't want to--”

“No, ask your question,” said Trixie firmly. “It's a private matter, but... you deserve some answers.”

Twilight shifted in place a little and nodded to Trixie as she lit up her horn. The spells struck the ball together and it rolled towards Trixie. “Um, it's nothing really. I just wanted to ask... what kind of pony he is...”

Trixie rolled her eyes as she readjusted the ball. “I'm not a child, Twilight Sparkle – you don't have to spare my feelings.”

“I'm not!” Twilight threw back. “That's my question, really!”

Trixie stared at her, deadpan, for a good ten seconds, whilst Twilight just stared back with a silent smile. Finally, Trixie blinked and averted her eyes. “...Liar,” she mumbled, even as the beginnings of an appreciative smile crept onto her face. Confound that Twilight's obsessive kindness...

“Fine,” said Trixie, conceding. “What kind of pony is he? Let me think...” She nodded again as a signal. They cast together and the ball rolled towards Twilight. “He's very... I guess you'd call it 'suave' – especially around pretty mares...”

Twilight cocked her head to the side and smiled a little. “Like you?”

Trixie scoffed. Trust Twilight to get it in one. “Exactly like me,” said Trixie, a hint of something even she wasn't quite sure of seeping into her voice.

Twilight's smile faltered as she readjusted the ball again. “Oh... So, you were close, then?”

Trixie let out a huff and closed her eyes in reminiscence. “Very close, once upon a time...”

Silence fell between them. Talking like that really brought the memories back – all the laughter, the teasing, the playing... the cuddling...

She viciously shook the invasive thoughts from her head and scowled as she opened her eyes. Twilight was frowning and looking to one side, probably thinking of what to say next. Trixie made sure that the scowl was replaced by a faint smile by the time Twilight looked up at her.

“What happened?” said the lavender unicorn, apparently not quite sure whether she wanted to hear the answer.

Trixie opened her mouth to voice a reply. She didn't have one. She screwed up her nose and thought harder, trying to bring back that one memory, but it was lost to her. With a chuckle, the showmare shook her head. “I don't even remember. How silly is that?”

Twilight, of course, said nothing.

“I'll bet that he does, though,” Trixie continued. “It's in his character to hold onto things like that. You should ask him when we get to Manehattan. I'm sure he'll be dying to meet my partner – the unicorn who I've 'brought along for him to humiliate'--” She smirked. “--I can't wait to see the look on his face when we beat him.”

“Hmm...” Twilight grunted, gazing thoughtfully into Trixie's eyes.

Eager to keep her momentum, Trixie cast her mind about for something else to bring up – some memory or anecdote to give Twilight a laugh. Before she could find one though, a sharp wind blew past, tossing her mane about and breaking her train of thought. As she raised a hoof to pat it back down, she turned to the left and saw a familiar, rainbow-maned pegasus skidding to a halt a few ponies' distance away.

'And just when I was having a good morning...'

“Oh, hey guys,” said Rainbow 'casually'. “Playing hoofball? Cool. Hope I'm not interrupting.”

“I'm sure,” Trixie mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Clearly surprised, Twilight bounced forwards with a smile. “Rainbow! What're you doing here? I wasn't expecting to see you until our school visit tomorrow.” She paused and her smile fell a little. “...You are coming this week, aren't you?”

“'course I am! What, you thought I was going to ditch you?” said Rainbow lightly.

Twilight's frown deepened. “Well, after what happened two weeks ago... and then you didn't turn up at all last Friday...”

Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “Hey, it's like I told you – I just needed some time to think last week. Tomorrow, stuff'll be back to normal, okay?”

Trixie looked between the two of them. She was half-expecting Twilight to throw that back in Rainbow's face. But, then again, this was Twilight...

The lavender unicorn smiled at last and nodded to Rainbow. “Okay.”

“Awesome,” said Rainbow, returning the smile. Then, quite surprisingly, she turned to Trixie. “Yo, Trixie, can we talk for a sec?”

“...Huh?” Trixie grunted intelligently. “Talk?”

“Yeah, you know--” Rainbow glanced at Twilight. “--In private.”

The two unicorns exchanged confused looks. “I can... step over there for a minute, if you want?” Twilight offered uncertainly.

Trixie blinked. She couldn't decide whether she wanted that or not.

“It'll just take a second, really,” said Rainbow.

Trixie glanced at the ground in thought, then finally turned to Twilight and nodded. The lavender unicorn offered each of them one last smile before trotting off to the side, leaving them alone.

“Alright, what do you want?” said Trixie, turning to glare at the pegasus.

To Trixie's surprise, Rainbow actually averted her gaze. There was a long pause – strange, considering that Rainbow was the one who wanted to talk in the first place...

“Yeah, so... here's the thing, Trix,” Rainbow began. “I know I've been, uh, kind of a jerk to you since... well, since we met...”

“Oh, you've realised that now, have you?” Trixie countered.

Rainbow glared at her. “Hey! You haven't exactly been friendly to me either, Miss Great and Powerful!”

Trixie stirred. An angry heat welled up inside her at the scorn and the nickname, wholly unlike the warmth she felt when Twilight called her that. “Well, maybe you haven't given Trixie much choice!” she threw back. “What, with all your heckling and random accusations--”

“Yeah, I get it!” Rainbow interrupted loudly. She paused briefly, then huffed. “...I know I haven't given you much of a chance or anything and-- Well, what I'm trying to say is... I'm...” She mumbled the last word under her breath, but Trixie could almost swear that she'd said...

“You're sorry?” Trixie repeated, drawing back in surprise.

Rainbow gulped and looked up to meet Trixie's eyes with a sad frown on her face. A moment later, the pegasus gave a quick shake of the head and drew herself up to her full height. “That's right – I'm sorry!” She stomped a hoof to emphasise it. “You got a problem with that?”

Trixie blinked. “...No?” she guessed. “But... why are you apologising? Aren't you supposed to, you know, hate Trixie or something?”

Rainbow lifted her nose a little higher. “Who says I don't?” The showmare raised an eyebrow at that. “Unlike everything else in the world, this isn't about you, Trixie. It's about her.” She thrust a hoof towards Twilight, who jumped in surprise.

When she'd recovered, the lavender mare cocked her head as if to say 'Oh, are you done?' Rainbow simply waved her off dismissively and turned back to Trixie.

“If this is about Twilight, then why did you want to talk to me in private?” said Trixie in a slightly quieter voice.

Rainbow shook her head. “This is high-level friendship stuff – no surprise that you wouldn't understand.” Trixie scowled as the annoying pegasus allowed herself a smug smirk. It only lasted a moment though. “Look, I don't know what she sees in you, Trix, but--”

“Stop calling me that!”

“--but she obviously sees something...” Rainbow glanced over at Twilight again, this time with a thoughtful frown. “She likes you. And me being a jerk to you makes her feel bad. So... yeah, like I said – you wouldn't understand.”

Trixie followed her gaze to Twilight, who was making a feeble attempt of pretending that she wasn't trying to steal glances towards them. “...Maybe I do understand,” Trixie mused aloud. Rainbow gave her a questioning look, which soon dissolved into a simple frown.

“Well, if you do, then you know why I've got to apologise,” she said impatiently.

Trixie nodded. “Yes... And you've apologised to her too?”

“Of course I have! Outside the schoolhouse, like, a hundred times.”

“And that's all you're going to do?” said Trixie, glaring at her. “Just say 'sorry' and leave it at that?”

Rainbow returned the glare twofold. “Not that it's any of your business, but no. I'm--” She broke off, and her glare immediately softened as she looked away. “...I'm going to get out of here for a couple weeks – give you guys some... space.” It looked like it pained her to say even that much. “Clear my head, you know...”

Surprised, Trixie held the retort she'd been meaning to throw back. “You're going to leave?” she repeated. “W-Wait, that's not what Trixie meant--”

Rainbow sighed and closed her eyes. “...I've said what I came to say. I'm going to go see Fluttershy or something. Catch you later, I guess.” With that, she offered a quick wave to Twilight and kicked off from the ground, shooting into the air before Trixie could even think of anything more to say.

And then she was gone.

Twilight trotted up to Trixie's side to join her in watching the fast-fading rainbow trail. “What was that about?” the bookish mare asked with an obvious hint of worry in her voice.

Trixie blinked a couple of times. “...You're seeing her tomorrow, aren't you?”

Twilight threw Trixie a questioning look. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because you two need to talk.”

* * *

15 - Introductions (Twilight)

“Eyes On You”

Chapter fifteen: Introductions

Twilight Sparkle awoke to a knock on the hotel room door the following morning. At least, she hoped that it was still morning – she was so comfortable in her bed that it was kind of hard to think about keeping track of time, even for her.

Part of her... most of her... wanted to stay there, partially submerged in the mattress, for at least a couple dozen more hours. But she knew that today was important – to her, to Trixie and, apparently, to whoever was knocking relentlessly at the door.

Dragging herself out of bed, Twilight trotted across the room, past the couch and the bedraggled, azure unicorn atop it, who had a pillow held defiantly to her ears to block out the noise. Twilight smiled beside herself and opted to give her partner a few more minutes of semi-sleep as she pushed out of the bedroom and hurried down the small corridor towards the room's entrance.

No sooner had she pulled open the main door than the small stallion beyond almost punched her in the nose – having been about to knock again.

“Whoops! Sorry,” he said, pulling back and cocking his head to the side, as if to look past Twilight. Judging by his spiked, black mane and his casual-looking sunglasses, Twilight guessed that he wasn't a member of staff.

“Um, good morning?” she tried, offering a questioning smile.

“Yeah, real good morning!” he confirmed, looking past Twilight's other side, before finally raising a light brown hoof to lower his sunglasses and meet her eyes. “Trixie Lulamoon?”

Twilight creased her brow for a moment, processing the question with her early morning brain. “Um, no. Trixie is my partner. I'm Twilight--”

“Whew! Great!” the stallion interrupted, grinning. “For a minute there, I thought I'd got the wrong room. And, let me tell you, that is a lot of stairs! Didn't like the idea of having to make two more trips up and down. I mean, I would've taken the elevator, but those things give me the creeps, y'know what I'm saying?”

“Um--”

He pushed past her into the room's entrance corridor and glanced idly about. “Hey, nice digs! You live here?”

Twilight tried to blink the confusion from her mind. “What? No, it's a hotel. Can I help you?”

“Oh yeah!” said the stallion, raising his eyebrows and turning to face her. “So, here's the deal – there's a chariot waiting outside, ready to take you and your partner to the stadium for your introduction. Oh, don't worry, you don't have to go right now!” he added, seeing the look of shock on Twilight's face. “But yeah, royal chariot, baby! I wish I got to ride on those things. Well, I do today. But I mean, like, all the time, y'know?”

Twilight managed to latch onto the one part of that outburst which was actually important. “...Royal chariot?” she repeated, tilting her head.

“Oh yeah, courtesy of the Princess herself. Pretty sweet, right?” He paused to retrieve two slips of paper from the one-sided saddlebag he wore and passed them over to Twilight. “Anyways, once you're all set to go, you'll want to fill out these forms and pass them to the guard pegasus waiting on your chariot. He'll make sure they get to where they're going.”

Twilight held the papers in her magic and squinted to get a better look at them. They seemed to be some kind of personal information forms... asking for name, partner's name, date of birth, current place of residence, etcetera.

“Aaand... that's all I've got for you,” the stallion finished. He pushed past Twilight and over the threshold again to stand outside. “You've got about two hours or so before they'll be expecting you, so chill out and have some breakfast or something. Later!”

With that, he zipped off around the corner, only to poke his head back into the doorway a moment later. “Oh, and if you don't mind me saying, you should probably brush your hair too. I mean, personally, I love the whole 'bed-mane' look, but seeing as how you're going to be meeting the Princess--” He shrugged. “--Just something to think about.”

And then he was gone again.

Twilight blinked dumbly in his wake, still working through the barrage of information. Of the two Manehattanites she'd met so far, both seemed to be less 'snobby' and far more 'energised' than she'd imagined. But, even if it was a little disorienting this early in the morning, it wasn't really a problem. Twilight would take another Pinkie Pie over another Prince Blueblood any day of the week. Though she hoped it wouldn't come to that...

Shaking off her tired thoughts, she closed the door and headed back towards the bedroom, staring at the forms as she went.

“Trixie, I think it's time to get up...”

* * *

The couple of morning hours they had left went very quickly. After having breakfasted and made themselves as presentable as possible using their bathroom, there was hardly enough time to do anything else before filling out their forms and heading down to the chariot a few minutes early.

As the strange stallion had said, it was indeed a royal chariot. It was manned by a pair of stallions from the Canterlot Royal Guard, with a third waiting at the side, ready to receive their forms and fly them off to the stadium ahead of the chariot.

Just as Twilight and Trixie had settled in and were taking off, another chariot arrived – presumably to pick up another pair of competitors. It gave her a small sense of relief to know that they wouldn't be the last ones to arrive at the stadium that morning – which, in theory, meant that they wouldn't stand out too much from the others.

The city of Manehattan was far below them now. Although the buildings appeared tiny, and she could cover several of them just with the tip of her hoof, Twilight couldn't help but think that the city looked even bigger from above. The sheer amount of buildings – all clustered together and each one trying to stretch higher than its neighbours – was amazing. It surpassed even Canterlot in size.

And, in the middle of it all, there was a great, circular stadium. Their destination...

Twilight cast a look across at her partner, finding that Trixie was sat back on her haunches with her chest puffed out, nose held high and lips in an unbridled smile. Her cape billowed out behind her in the wind as they soared through the sky, and she almost seemed to glow with pride. It was almost enough to bring a tear to Twilight's eye, knowing that she had helped to make Trixie this happy. This Display really did mean everything to her...

'I just hope that I don't mess it up.'

When Trixie turned to meet Twilight's gaze, the nervous frown that had been making its way onto the lavender unicorn's face was instantly dashed.

“Your feather is trying to fly away,” said Trixie, nodding towards Twilight's ear.

Twilight quickly reached up with hoof and magic both to readjust the plume, offering a timid chuckle by way of thanks.

“So, are you excited?” Trixie asked. “I'm sure that you're looking forward to seeing your Princess again.”

“She's not my Princess,” said Twilight embarrassedly. “But, yes, I am...”

The showmare adopted a curious frown and tilted her head. “But there's something wrong?” she guessed.

It was a good guess.

At the mention of the Princess, Twilight felt a whole new set of doubts rising to the surface. She was worried about what the Princess would think of her competing... and without telling her, no less. In retrospect, it was probably because she was afraid of Celestia's reaction that she didn't write a letter in the first place.

But Trixie had told her, just yesterday, to be herself – 'Just be Twilight' – and everything would work out. She wanted to believe that it applied to the Princess, too.

“It's nothing,” said Twilight with a shake of the head and a smile. “It's just nerves. I'll be alright as long as you're with me.”

Trixie didn't seem all that convinced, but she only stared for a moment longer before smiling and turning to look ahead once again. “Yes, you will,” she said, by way of subtle reassurance.

A few more minutes passed in silence before the chariot began its spiralling descent towards the stadium, and the sounds of thunderous applause started to roar louder and louder. Hundreds upon hundreds of ponies filled the stands, all cheering and clapping their hooves as the chariot approached. Twilight got an eerie sense of déjà vu as she peered over the edge. It was just like when she came here with the Princess as a child...

Her eyes were drawn to the western side of the stadium, where an enormous screen of water – swimming with brightly coloured images – covered a good fifth of the stands on that side. Six unicorns – three mares and three stallions – stood in the box overhead, constantly channelling their magic in harmony to keep the spell going. The level of concentration that must take was even more amazing to Twilight now that she was old enough to appreciate it.

But she had little time to ponder that as she realised what the images on the screen depicted. It was a real-time, moving picture of the chariot – with Twilight herself peering over the edge whilst Trixie sat upright, looking as proud as ever.

“--And it looks like our next two competitors are arriving now!” came an echoing, male voice from below. “Hold onto your hooves, fillies and gentlecolts – I can practically feel the magic coming off of these two!”

Twilight suddenly became aware of the butterflies surging around in her stomach, and her hooves felt like they'd just been strapped down with lead weights. Turning urgently to her side, she saw that Trixie didn't seem fazed in the slightest. In fact, the azure unicorn was smiling wider than ever, ears perked up and nose held almost vertically as she took in the sound of applause.

The chariot touched down with a jolt, on a flat landing area atop the eastern stands, and Twilight yelped in surprise. It was enough to snap her out of the initial shock of receiving so much attention, and she actually managed to flash a smile in the general direction of the audience, albeit an obviously pained one.

“And here they are!” the echoing voice announced. “Hailing all the way from Hoofington and Ponyville respectively, we have the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle! In my entire career, I've never seen more blatant abuse of the 'Name' field on the entry form! I tip my hat to you, fillies!”

As the crowd roared and the camera zoomed in on she and Trixie in turn, Twilight managed a nervous chuckle. It sounded even sillier now that she heard it broadcast across an entire stadium full of ponies. But Trixie had insisted that her partner needed a title... and at least the announcer had made a joke out of it.

Something brushed against her hoof. Her attention was pulled to the side, where Trixie was smiling expectantly up at her, having already stepped down from the chariot.

Twilight hesitated – her hooves still felt heavy.

'You can do it,' she promised herself. 'Just keep your eyes on Trixie. Nopony else matters.'

In response to her thoughts, the crowd's roaring approval seemed to quieten the tiniest amount. Keeping her eyes locked with Trixie's, the timid unicorn took a deep, soothing breath and managed a petite but honest smile as she stepped down from the chariot.

“Just like we practised,” Trixie whispered as she led Twilight up to the edge of the stands, looking out over the arena before them.

Twilight hesitated, and Trixie picked up on it immediately. Subtly, so as not to let the crowd notice, Trixie slid a hoof across to touch against hers. The gesture sent a reassuring warmth up through Twilight's foreleg, all the way up into her chest, where it sparked a determined fire.

'We can do it,' she told herself.

Trixie's nod signalled the start of a silent three count, just as they'd practised. Twilight positioned her hooves, cleared her mind and readied her spell, and she felt Trixie do the same at her side.

On three, the two mares reared up together, threw their hooves wide and released their spells. “Watch in awe!” they yelled, as magical sparks and fireworks shot up into the air overhead, intermingling to make a wondrous, colourful display.

“Wow! What did I tell you?” cheered the echoing voice. “Such an effortless double casting, and perfectly coordinated as well! No doubt a sign of great things to come - these two are a pair to watch, fillies and gentlecolts!”

As Twilight resettled on all four hooves, she found herself grinning. Not only had she not made a complete foal out of herself next to Trixie, but, together, they'd actually managed to impress everypony. Hearing the approval of the announcer, not to mention the redoubled cheers from the crowd, sent an electric tingle of pride through her body. And she liked it.

“See?” said Trixie, nudging her in the side as the camera panned to a different part of the stadium. “I said you'd be brilliant. And the Great and Powerful Trixie is never wrong about these things.”

Brimming with sudden confidence, Twilight couldn't help but giggle. “I guess she's not,” she said happily. “This might not be so hard, after all.”

“It won't be,” Trixie assured her, smiling out across the stands. “Just remember what I told you and our competition won't stand a chance.”

“Pardon me,” came another voice from beside them. Turning, Twilight saw a short, dainty-looking mare with a fashionable red hat and scarf, smiling between the two of them. “If you'll both follow me, please. There's another chariot on its way in.”

With a nod to the mare and a last smile at one another, Twilight and Trixie followed her along the wall to a roofed box that held ten padded pillows lined up as seats, six of which were already filled.

“Please take a seat,” said the mare. “These are your fellow competitors, so feel free to introduce yourselves while we wait for the last pair and the Princess to arrive.”

As she was instructed, Twilight stepped up into the box and settled on her haunches beside a tall, brown-coated stallion, who flashed her a smile. “Nice entrance,” he said.

“Th-thanks,” said Twilight, returning the smile. “Um, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Trixie--” She gestured to her partner, who'd taken the seat beside her. “--Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, you too,” he said coolly. “My name's Earth Twister, and this is my brother, Sandstorm.”

A smaller stallion with a tan-coloured coat poked his head out from behind Earth Twister and waved a hoof.

The two of them then leaned back to reveal the other four competitors further along the row. “This is Nightshade and Violet,” Twister explained, pointing to a stallion and mare in turn, each with clearly dyed ebony coats and pale white manes. The former didn't seem to even acknowledge his name, simply staring out at the water screen with a faint smile. The mare at his side was just the opposite, giving a start at the sound of her name and hiding behind her partner in an extremely Fluttershy-like manoeuvre.

“...And those two at the back are Cherry Blossom--” He pointed to a pink-coated mare with a flower garland atop her greenish mane. She offered a warm smile and a wave.

“And Bay Dasher--” He singled out the stallion on the very end of the row, who had a dark brown coat and a scruffy, black mohawk for a mane. He was at least an order of magnitude larger than either of the other stallions, and he looked very out of place next to his dainty partner – with a stern frown on his face and his fetlocks folded across his chest, showing off his bulging muscles. He merely grunted in acknowledgement.

Twilight thanked Twister and gave each of the competitors another look over before turning to gaze out over the stands. It seemed that ponies of all kinds were competing this year. She was curious as to what each of their talents were, but now was hardly the time to bring up such a conversation.

“Aha!” came the announcer's voice, all of a sudden. “The final pair are arriving now! Everypony turn your eyes to the eastern stands and give a warm, Manehattan welcome to the two ponies that we've literally all been waiting for!”

Twilight leant forwards and peered around Trixie, towards the landing area. As she did so, she noticed that the showmare herself was suddenly looking rather attentively in that direction, seeming to have dialled down her joyful pride. It only took Twilight a moment to figure out why...

As the chariot touched down, a pair of smiling faces appeared from within – a stallion and a mare. Trixie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“I'm sure that the first of these two requires no introduction,” said the echoing voice. “That's right, folks – the stunning mare you see before you is none other than Canterlot Sleek Fashion Magazine's own star model – Desert Rose!”

This announcement was met with another roar of approval, filled with a great number of hoots and whistles from the louder stallions among the audience. Twilight, recognizing the name, turned a curious eye towards the water screen across the way.

Sure enough, the screen showed a close-up of the mare smiling and waving from the chariot. Her coat – a warm tan in colour – was sleek and well-groomed, and there wasn't so much as a hair out of place among the long, brown locks of her mane, flowing down to her knees. She was every bit as lovely as she looked in Rarity's magazines... The fashionista was going to scream when she heard that Twilight had a chance to meet Desert Rose in person.

“And, escorting everypony's favourite fashion model, we have another pony from Hoofington!”

Trixie stirred in her seat again, so much so that she accidentally bumped into Twilight's fetlock.

The picture on the screen panned across to a tall, strapping stallion, also waving out at the crowd with a toothy grin on his face. His coat was a pale, relaxing green – very similar in intensity to Trixie's blue – and his straw-coloured mane hung coolly down past one shoulder.

There was the briefest of moments when his eyes locked with the camera, and Twilight felt a sudden, powerful presence – as if he was looking straight at her through the screen. It was a ridiculous thought, but she couldn't force herself to look away from his deep, piercing blue eyes as her breath caught in her throat...

“What a smile, eh, fillies and gentlecolts? Although I can't say I wouldn't have the same in his position... lucky dog... Uh, l-let's all get a round of applause for Flaire! Flaire, everypony!”

The crowd cheered again, though there were noticeably less hoots than there had been for his partner. He didn't seem to mind though. His grin shifted into a tender smile as he stepped down from the chariot and offered a hoof to help Desert Rose down.

Twilight chanced a look at her own partner, only just noticing how tense Trixie was. The showmare's face was turned away, towards the new arrivals, but her hooves were pressing down viciously against her pillow-seat, as if she were subconsciously trying to crush it or rip it to pieces. Clearly, she disliked this Flaire just as much as she'd let on.

In a bid to soothe her, Twilight reached out a hoof towards Trixie's leg. The moment that Twilight touched her, the azure unicorn's death grip on the pillow melted and her shoulders seemed to relax a little.

“Are you okay?” Twilight whispered.

Trixie turned to meet Twilight's eyes, hesitating for only a second before she offered a tiny smile, as if to say 'I'm fine'. It wasn't incredibly reassuring, but Twilight took what she could get.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the new arrivals being led towards them by the red-uniformed mare. With an uncertain gulp, Twilight nodded in their direction. Trixie turned, saw them, then snapped her eyes towards the opposite side of the stadium in a rather poor pretence that she hadn't noticed.

Twilight mimicked her, managing a smile that said something along the lines of 'If I smile, maybe they won't kill each other.'

Flaire entered the box first and took a seat beside Trixie. Neither of them looked at the other.

“Trixie,” said Flaire.

“Flaire,” said Trixie.

There was a short pause before Flaire spoke again. “You're looking as lovely as ever.”

“Yes, I am,” Trixie threw back. “Just like your partner. I see you haven't changed.”

“Says the mare who's still wearing the cape I gave her when we were children,” Flaire countered, with a smirk that was obvious in his voice. “Whatever happened to the hat? I seem to remember that you looked utterly adorable in it.”

“I lost it in a fight with an Ursa Minor,” said Trixie casually. “No great loss.”

Flaire grunted with interest. “An Ursa Minor? You?”

Twilight saw Trixie smirking out of the corner of her eye.

“Don't sound so surprised, old man,” said the showmare. “My magic is twice as powerful as the last time we met. Anything you could throw at me now would be foal's play to counter.”

“Is that so?” said Flaire. He paused, apparently giving it some thought, before lowering his voice to a whisper which Twilight could barely make out. “Well then, this should be interesting, for once.”

Trixie flicked back her mane dismissively, and that seemed to be the end of the conversation.

In a silent sigh of relief, Twilight's shoulders relaxed and her frightened smile became an honest, mellow one. She wasn't quite sure what she'd been expecting... maybe for Trixie to lose her temper and turn Flaire into a flowerpot? But neither of them seemed particularly aggressive towards the other, although there was a definite hostility in the air between them. She made a mental note to ask Trixie about the 'old man' comment later – Flaire didn't look that much older than either of them...

Before she could give it much thought, the announcer's voice rang out across the stadium again. “Alright, everypony! All our competitors have arrived – and what a line up we have this year! - but before we reveal the first event, we have one last, very special pony to welcome. That's right, folks – please, all rise for her majesty, Princess Celestia!”

Twilight's stomach lurched as the image on the water screen twisted and blurred to depict another chariot that was descending upon the stadium. She stood, along with her fellow competitors, and watched as the Princess appeared on the screen. She was as tall and beautiful as ever, sitting regally inside the chariot and smiling around at everypony as her shining mane flowed out behind her.

The chariot flew straight over the competitors' box and landed on another flat section of wall just a little further along, beside a very impressive-looking box with an arched, white marble roof. The Princess emerged to more cheers from the obviously excited crowd, and made her way up to the raised seat that would no doubt offer a perfect view of the arena below.

“Doesn't she look radiant, fillies and gentlecolts? Celestial, even! If I've used that one before, it's because it never gets old!”

Twilight felt a sudden movement at her side. Starting with Bay Dasher, at the far end, everypony was filing out of the box, heading towards the Princess. Surprise and confusion taking hold, Twilight shot a look towards Trixie, receiving a questioning smile in return.

“We all get to meet her, remember?” said the showmare, nudging Twilight to get her moving. “What's wrong? Getting cold hooves?”

“Oh... N-no, I'm fine,” said Twilight. She turned to follow Earth Twister's short, brown tail out of the box, though she didn't match his near-bouncing, excited trot. Of course she knew that they were supposed to speak with the Princess, but she didn't think that was going to be right now...

Trixie came up alongside Twilight, offering a little reassurance as they followed the other competitors along the wall.

The lavender unicorn was conscious of all the eyes looking down on her from the stands overhead, but they didn't seem all that scary right now. Talking to the Princess, on the other hoof...

'What will she think of me competing?' Twilight wondered. 'Will she be upset that I didn't tell her? Should I apologise? I mean, I really haven't done anything wrong. I just forgot!'

As they neared the pair of guardsponies barring entrance to the box, she tried to shake off the nagging thoughts. She was probably just making a big deal out of nothing.

“...Omission isn't grounds for banishment, right?” Twilight whispered hopefully to her partner.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Not that I've heard,” she said warily.

“Right. Of course it's not,” said Twilight, nodding to herself. “That's silly.”

“Twilight, if you're going to panic and teleport yourself back to Ponyville, at least let me know beforehoof, so that I don't look like a complete foal when you do,” said Trixie casually.

Twilight managed a laugh at that, and it lightened her mood like nothing else could to see Trixie's immodest smile.

The line of competitors came to a stop before the royal guards, who instructed them to approach in pairs. Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom, being at the front of the group, went first, leaving the rest to wait until they were finished.

Realising that they probably had a bit of a wait ahead of them, Twilight adopted a relaxed stance and cast her gaze around the stadium. Most of the crowd were chattering amongst themselves now, presumably very excited about the soon-to-come reveal of the first event. Some of them, though not as many as she'd thought, were still watching her with curious or intrigued eyes, but she tried to take that in stride. Hopefully, they were just admiring her entrance...

“Excuse me,” came a voice from behind Twilight.

Turning, she came face to face with Flaire, who was smiling gently. “Oh, um, hello,” said Twilight, politely returning the smile.

“You'll have to forgive me,” said Flaire. “But, in my excitement at seeing Trixie again, it seems that I forgot to introduce myself to you.”

“Oh, t-that's alright--” Twilight began, only to be cut off as the stallion offered her a hoof.

“My name is Flaire,” he announced. “May I ask yours?”

Twilight opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, then took the hoof. “I-- Um, Twilight Sparkle,” she managed. “Nice to meet you.”

Flaire smirked in a very Trixie-like manner. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Twilight wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but she was pleasantly surprised when Flaire bowed his head and laid a kiss upon her hoof. It was a greeting she hadn't received since her time in Canterlot, and it brought with it a nice kind of nostalgia.

As Flaire pulled back and released her hoof, he looked towards the smiling mare at his side. “And this is my partner, Desert Rose,” he said. “Perhaps you've heard of her?”

“I have,” said Twilight, flashing the gorgeous mare a smile. “It's an honour to meet you, Miss Rose.”

“Yes, how did you manage to con a supermodel into being your partner?” said Trixie suddenly, giving Flaire an expectant look.

Contrary to Twilight, who was caught completely off guard by the question, Flaire didn't seem put off in the slightest. He actually gave a little, dignified laugh before answering. “I haven't 'conned' anyone, my dear Trixie. Rose and I met at a ball in Canterlot a few months ago and-- Well, we just hit it off.”

Flaire caught his partner's eye, and they smiled warmly at one another. Twilight thought it was kind of sweet. Trixie looked like she was going to be sick.

“What of you, Twilight?” said Flaire. “How ever did Trixie manage to convince such a lovely young mare as yourself to partner with her?”

Twilight smiled at the compliment. “Well, she's my friend,” she said with a shrug. “And she asked me to. So, here I am.”

“I see,” Flaire muttered, casting a glance towards Trixie, who was now smirking proudly. “I don't mean to sound doubtful, but it's just that she's never been particularly good at making friends – with all that boasting of hers.”

“Well, she made friends with me,” Twilight chirped.

At this point, Trixie was starting to look very much like she wanted to stick her tongue out at Flaire in triumph. She managed to restrain herself though, for which Twilight was grateful.

Flaire shook his head and raised a hoof by way of apology. “Please, forgive my rudeness – I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I'm just glad to hear that Trixie has finally found somepony to watch out for her. To keep her out of trouble, as it were.”

“I'm perfectly capable of keeping myself out of trouble, Flaire,” Trixie threw back.

“Didn't you just say that you got into a fight with an Ursa Minor?” said Flaire, arching a brow. “Speaking of which, we must meet up for lunch so that you can tell me the story. It sounds fascinating.”

Trixie scowled at something in his tone which Twilight couldn't pick up on.

“Twilight and Trixie already have plans for lunch. Forever,” the showmare added coldly.

Flaire laughed again. “Ah, same old Trixie. How I've missed you...”

The next pair had already made their way to speak to the Princess at this point, and it wasn't long before Earth Twister and his brother followed suit. When they, too, had finished speaking, bowed their heads and left via the other side of the Princess' box, it came Twilight's turn to step forward.

Unlike Twilight, Trixie didn't hesitate. But, just as the showmare started forwards, she was blocked by one of the guard stallions.

When, after a few seconds, it became obvious that he had no intention of moving, Trixie stepped back and glared. “...You're in Trixie's way,” she informed him.

“Apologies, Miss,” said the stallion, shaking his head. “The Princess has requested that you and Miss Twilight Sparkle be the last pair to speak with her, after these two.” He nodded to Flaire and Rose.

“What? Why?” said Trixie indignantly.

“I'm afraid that's all I was told, Miss.”

“Not to worry, Trixie,” said Flaire, as he and Rose stepped forwards. “We'll be brief. After all, it hasn't been that long since the Princess and I spoke to one another--” He paused and cast Trixie a smirk. “--Are you sure you don't want that lunch?”

Trixie scowled at him, but made no retort as he walked past the guards and towards the Princess' box.

“Why would she want to talk to him first?” Trixie grumbled, turning to Twilight.

“She doesn't, she just wants to talk to us last,” Twilight corrected, though she couldn't fathom why the Princess would want that, either...

“Same difference,” said Trixie dismissively, turning to watch as Flaire and his partner strode up to the Princess and bowed their heads. The azure unicorn let out an impatient huff.

Now that there weren't so many ponies between them, Twilight tried to catch Celestia's eye, to no avail. She was smiling and occasionally laughing as she spoke to Flaire, but she wasn't that distracted... she had to have noticed Twilight's attempts to make contact. The nagging feeling that the Princess might be upset with her started to creep back into her mind...

When Flaire kissed the Princess' hoof and left the box alongside Rose, Twilight shook her head to clear it. The guardsponies stepped aside, and Trixie started forwards almost immediately.

“About time,” she muttered, holding her nose high.

Twilight could've sworn that she'd seen one of the guards roll their eyes, but it must've been a trick of the light. She hurried up alongside Trixie, and together they made their way up onto the raised, red carpet before the Princess' seat.

As she stepped into the warm radiance surrounding Princess Celestia, Twilight couldn't help but bite her lip – like a schoolfilly who knew that she was about to get in trouble. The Princess, however, made no move to suggest this. In fact, when she finally met Twilight's gaze, it was with a tender smile.

“Hello, my faithful student,” she greeted.

Twilight bowed her head. “Hello, Princess,” she said timidly, buying time whilst she cast her mind about for something to break the ice. “Um... Fancy seeing you here!”

The tinkling chuckle that escaped Celestia's lips was enough to wash any remaining doubt from Twilight's mind. The Princess was happy to see her.

“You continue to surprise me, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “How long have you known that you were going to compete this year?”

“Oh, not that long,” Twilight kind-of-lied, but not really. “I was going to write you a letter, but we were really busy practising--” She paused and cast a hopeful look towards the Princess. “--You're not mad, are you?”

Celestia shook her head. “You say the strangest things sometimes, my dear. But it certainly makes you more endearing, so I won't complain,” she added with a wink.

Twilight flushed.

“No, Twilight, I'm not mad,” the Princess continued. “On the contrary, I'm very impressed.”

“...You are?” said Twilight, cocking her head.

With a smile and a nod, the Princess rose from her chair and took a few steps closer. “My dear, your participation in this event displays an impressive level of confidence in your abilities. It's something that I fear you've been lacking for a while now, and it speaks volumes to your development as a sorceress.”

“...It does?” said Twilight, with a grin creeping onto her face.

The Princess nodded again, before leaning down to cross necks with Twilight. “It does. I'm very proud of you, Twilight.”

Twilight opened her mouth, closed it again, then smiled and moved into the hug. “Thank you, Princess,” she said simply.

Beside them, a certain azure-coated showmare made an unsubtle noise.

“Oh! Um--” Twilight pulled back and glanced across at Trixie, who had an eyebrow raised and an expectant look on her face. “Princess, you remember Trixie, don't you?”

“I do,” said Celestia.

Trixie tilted her head. “You do?”

Eyes widening in near-panic, Twilight cast her mind about for some way to deflect that. “From the letters!” she managed.

“The letters?” said Trixie doubtfully.

“Yes!” said Twilight. “The ones that I wrote to her. To the Princess, I mean. About you.”

Celestia let out another giggle, which kind of gave the game away. “Yes, indeed,” she said. “Only good things though, I assure you.”

“Oh...” Trixie shook off her scepticism and offered the Princess a quick bow. “Well, Trixie is honoured to meet you, Princess Celestia.”

“And I you, Trixie,” said the Princess, also bowing her head. “I believe that I have you to thank for inspiring such confidence in my little sorceress?”

Twilight's face caught fire as Trixie shot her a sidelong smirk. In that moment, she had the distinct, nauseating feeling that she was never, ever going to live the nickname down in Trixie's eyes...

“That's right, Princess,” said the showmare. “Trixie has been teaching Twilight Sparkle how to properly assert herself on stage. But it hasn't been hard – she's a natural.”

The Princess grunted in agreement and smiled at Twilight. “I found the same thing when teaching her as a child--” She shook her head and chuckled again. “--In any case, seeing how close the two of you have become brings warm feelings to my heart. Perhaps, Twilight, after the Display, you'll have a couple of reports to send me?”

Despite her still-fading embarrassment, Twilight managed a smile at that. “I expect so, Princess.”

To Twilight, that seemed like as good a place as any to leave the conversation. Although she obviously wanted to talk with the Princess a lot more, they were on something of a clock – the crowd would grow restless if they took too long.

She caught Trixie's eye, and the showmare nodded to show that she got the message. But, instead of turning to leave or bowing her head, Trixie took a step forwards. “Before we go, Princess, Trixie has a question.”

“Oh?” said Celestia, smiling encouragingly.

Trixie flicked her horn and summoned her invitation, before showing it to the Princess. Twilight understood, and, judging by the way the Princess closed her eyes and nodded, so did she.

“I expected that you would ask, that's why I requested to speak with you after everypony else,” said Celestia. She turned and retook her seat before meeting Trixie's eyes again. “Not because I was putting it off, I'm sure you understand, but because it's going to take a few moments to explain.”

Twilight shuffled her hooves against the carpet. “Everypony's waiting... Is this really the time?”

“The audience can wait a little longer,” said the Princess calmly. “In fact, I believe that the waiting is supposed to... 'increase the hype', was it?” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that sounds right.”

“The seal?” Trixie pressed, much to Twilight's chagrin.

Celestia bowed her head. “Of course. You see, I encountered Flaire at a ball in Canterlot, several months ago. He was incredibly cheerful, having just been invited to compete in the Display himself. So cheerful, in fact, that he put on something of an impromptu magic show, which went down particularly well with the other party-goers.”

Trixie scoffed in obvious disgust, but didn't say anything.

“His magical talent is extraordinary for a unicorn his age, especially considering that he never had any formal training,” the Princess continued. “Some of his spells caught my eye – along with the eyes of a number of other mares in the room, I might add – and so I approached him after the performance, out of curiosity.”

She looked to Twilight and adopted a more subtle smile. “I've always been one to seek out and nurture potential, and I saw a lot of it in Flaire. Once we got to talking – with which he seemed to have no problem – he eventually came to mention a lifelong rival by the name of Trixie Lulamoon...”

She paused and looked to Trixie before continuing. “I believe his exact words were 'Without her, the competition just wouldn't be a competition'. Naturally, I saw an opportunity there.”

With that, she stopped talking and smiled expectantly.

Twilight and Trixie looked to one another, utterly clueless.

“Um, I don't understand, Princess,” said Twilight bluntly.

Celestia gave a little chuckle. “As I said, I'm nurturing potential. They say that competition brings out the best and worst in us, do they not?”

“They... do,” said Twilight slowly, cogs turning in her brain.

“Then there is your answer,” said the Princess proudly. “If you don't understand now, then you will, in time. You may have my word on that.”

“Oh...” said Trixie. “But--” Her mouth hung open, and her jaw seemed to be trying to form words, but to no avail.

Twilight had to admit to being rather confused herself. But she knew from experience that when the Princess said something to the effect of 'You'll figure it out', it meant that she had a plan. And, after the Nightmare Moon incident, Twilight had come to trust the Princess' plans implicitly.

She found a smile and bowed her head. “I understand, Princess.”

Trixie threw her a look. “You do?”

“Well... no,” Twilight admitted, offering a sheepish grin as she stood up again. “But I will. And so will you.”

She cast a look towards the Princess, and received an approving smile and nod in response. It brought a warm feeling of accomplishment to her chest, even if she hadn't actually figured anything out yet.

Trixie stared blankly at Twilight for a long moment. Then she huffed in defeat. “Fine. I trust you. But if I don't understand by the end of the Display--”

“Then I will make sure to tell you the whole story,” the Princess broke in. “Though I suspect that it won't come to that. In either case, I think the two of you should get moving. It's about time that the first event was revealed, don't you agree?”

“Oh! O-of course!” said Twilight hastily. “Come on, Trixie!”

She and Trixie each bowed deeply before hurrying down from the carpet and starting towards the stone railing where the other competitors were now gathered.

“Is she always that... cryptic?” Trixie asked, frowning.

“Well, not always,” said Twilight generously. “But she has her moments.”

Trixie grunted.

As they came up to the railing, they took a place beside Flaire and Rose, who looked up from their conversation to offer quick smile. Twilight smiled back. Trixie rolled her eyes and looked down into the arena.

“The time has come, fillies and gentlecolts!” said the echoing voice of the announcer.

All over the stadium, voices fell silent and eyes turned to face the centre.

“I'm sure you've all been speculating as to what this year's first event will involve. Well, I'm pleased to have the chance to tell you that we've got something very special in store...”

Twilight's ears perked up as she caught a vibration on the air. Not magical, but a very literal vibration, like a low rumble.

“Over the many years that the Manehattan Display has been held, we've seen a lot of weird and wonderful things. But when they told me about this, I thought they were pulling my leg.”

The air vibrated again, and Twilight's gaze was instinctively drawn down into the arena. As she searched for the source of the disturbance, she started taking in the details for the first time.

She, and the rest of the audience, were currently atop the wall of the bowl, which dropped vertically down about two stories onto a flat, stone field in the centre, at least a hundred ponies in diameter.

Embedded into the north and south walls were small, pony-sized grates – the entrances, obviously. And in the far, western wall was another grate, although this one was a lot larger, perhaps big enough to fit two covered wagons, side-by-side, with some extra room on top.

It was from there, Twilight determined, that the sound was resonating...

Suddenly, with a scraping of metal, the grate began to lift from the ground. Behind it, Twilight could see only blackness, though she could feel a definite presence. A few moments passed, during which everypony squinted and cocked their heads, trying to get a look inside.

And then an earth pony stallion came trotting steadily along out of the darkness. He had a very plain yellow coat and a very plain brown mane to go with his very plain red bandana.

The stadium was deadly silent as the stallion made his way to the very centre of the arena and came to a stop. The audience waited. The other competitors, Trixie included, shifted to try and get a better view of the stallion. Twilight cocked her head at the open grate and gazed into the darkness.

Silence.

A different kind of vibration suddenly shook the stadium, strong enough to make Twilight wobble on her hooves and bump into Trixie. She was still recovering when something massive shot out of the darkness. Hundreds of gasps came all at once as the thing ground to a halt above the earth pony and raised itself up to let out a massive, distorted roar.

When Twilight's ears stopped ringing, she chanced a look towards the creature. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.

There, in the centre of the arena, the beast stood four ponies tall and as many broad. It might've been mistaken for some giant manticore, if not for the two extra heads protruding from its shoulders – a snake and a goat, both as massive as the first lion head. The claws jutting out of each of the creature's four paws were at least as long as the earth pony they surrounded. Judging by the casual smile on said pony's face, he was either quite happy to be eaten, or he was a tamer.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” yelled the announcer. “I give you our opening event!”

* * *

Epilogue and author's notes

Two months later...

The stars seemed to shine brighter than usual that night, as Twilight Sparkle laid on her balcony with a paper scroll in front of her. The night sky provided all the light she needed to see the words on the page, but for once, she wasn't paying much attention to the written word.

The world was very still – the kind of still that one could actually feel, actually notice. There was a light breeze, neither cold nor bothersome, just gentle enough to caress the fur on the back of her neck. No ponies yelled or cheered in the streets after one of Pinkie's parties. No crickets sang to disturb the peace. Only the occasional hoot of a graceful owl pierced the calming silence.

It was Twilight's favourite kind of night. It helped her to think, about a lot of things. And, with how hectic the past few months had been, she needed all the help she could get.

Being champion of the Manehattan Display made one famous over a much wider area than just the city itself. The past two months had seen a large increase in the number of travellers and tourists to Ponyville, coming in search of the 'amazing showmare duo that dazzled the whole of Manehattan'. It was quite the fanbase they'd amassed, and while Twilight would never complain about making so many ponies happy, it was nice to get away from it all when she could.

That was getting easier and easier, now that the initial hype had died down. For the first few weeks, ponies had been coming up to her in the streets – asking for autographs or photographs, inviting her to 'exclusive' parties, begging her to perform for them at fancy venues. Now, after a couple of months, she still had all of that, but in a much more subdued capacity. Most requests or invitations came in written form, and they were perfectly manageable within Twilight's daily schedule. And, in most cases, it was her pleasure to oblige.

Nowadays, the thoughts that filled her mind mostly were not those of excitable fans, nor were they of her studies, in point of fact. The thoughts were those of a certain, azure-coated unicorn.

A kiss. A hug. A word. A smile...

Those thoughts always made her feel warm, and tonight was no exception. Her eyes turned to the moon as the warmth filled her up and made her let out a content breath through her nose.

She let minutes pass, simply drifting around in her own little world, before finally turning back to the scroll of paper which lay in front of her on the balcony. Starlight illuminated the black inked words that ran down the page, forming a half-written letter to Princess Celestia. She'd been puzzling over it for what must've been hours now, but she wasn't really in any hurry. It was a relaxed sort of night, and she didn't want to waste it by stressing out.

“Procrastinating again, Twilight? Somehow, I don't think your Princess would approve.”

Snapping out of her daydream, Twilight gave the barest hint of a start and looked over her shoulder. Trixie had just stepped out onto the balcony, wearing her cape, a pair of saddlebags and a warm sort of smirk.

“I'm not procrastinating,” said Twilight, “I'm just looking for inspiration.”

Trixie closed the door behind her and gave a deliberate flick of her mane. “Thinking about pretty mares, more like.”

“I have no idea who you might be talking about,” said Twilight, looking back out towards the starry sky with a smile now gracing her lips. “How was your day?”

“Fantastic, as ever,” said Trixie. A rustling and a quiet thud told that she had dropped her saddlebags down by the door. “Everypony loved my performance and the new spell went down perfectly. It actually caught the eye of a noble couple from Canterlot, who recognised me from the Display. They offered to make a 'sizeable donation' to the Ponyville Town Hall Repair Fund if I could convince you to perform with me next week. Wednesday, if you're interested.”

Twilight's smile widened. “Always. I'll work it into my schedule.” She let her gaze fall back down to the paper in front of her and started idly pretending to write. “I take it the Farmer's Market was a success then?”

She could almost hear Trixie turning her nose up and smiling with pride. “It was. Trixie's performance drew in crowds from all over town, just like you predicted. Most of the stalls were sold out within a couple of hours. And I think your apple friend is starting to like me – she actually shook my hoof when her last pie disappeared.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Twilight. “But my friends might start to like you faster if you actually remembered their names.”

“Oh, I remember their names,” said Trixie dismissively. “I'm just being cute.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You think far too highly of yourself, Miss Lulamoon.”

Twilight could hear the smirk in Trixie's voice. “One cannot think too highly of the Great and Powerful Trixie, 'Miss Sparkle'.”

As she heard Trixie approaching, Twilight lifted her quill from the letter and let it rest in the inkwell, pretending to think of what to write next.

“What're you working on?” Trixie asked over Twilight's shoulder.

“A friendship report to Princess Celestia.”

“Another one?” said Trixie.

Twilight lowered her head a little bit. “No. The same one.”

“Again?” Trixie leant in closer to get a look at the scroll. “How long have you been working on that now?”

“Almost two months,” Twilight admitted quietly. “Since the week we got back from the Display.”

Trixie squinted down at the scroll. “You know how much I adore your obsessive attention to detail, but even you can't spend two months on two paragraphs worth of writing.”

“I haven't been working on it constantly,” Twilight stressed, going a little red. “And this is just the latest version! I've written lots of letters, they just haven't been...”

“'Just haven't been...'?” said Trixie.

“...'Right',” said Twilight.

Trixie rolled her eyes more obviously than Twilight had seen in a long while. “Give it here, let me see.”

Twilight made a false-reluctant gesture and hesitated for a moment before magically passing it over. Trixie took it in her own magical grip and ran her eyes across the scroll as she sat down next to Twilight.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Trixie read aloud. “I'm very sorry for the lateness of this letter. It's important to me that I get it right, and so I wanted to take some time to make sure that I'd gotten all the facts down and, well, I suppose I got carried away.

A few months ago – though it already feels like a lot longer – I met somepony very special. I didn't know it at the time, but Trixie came to teach me a valuable lesson about friendship.”

Trixie lowered the scroll and frowned thoughtfully. “Okay,” she said. “It's... a start.”

“Yeah,” Twilight muttered. “I'm just not quite sure where to go from there.”

“Mmm,” Trixie grunted. There was a long pause, during which Trixie stared at the scroll and Twilight waited patiently for her to suggest something. And then, Trixie picked up the quill and said “Here, let me try.”

Hesitant, but curious, Twilight shuffled backwards and allowed Trixie some room to put the scroll down on the balcony. She watched over Trixie's shoulder as the showmare began writing, the silent ambience of night broken only by the scratching of the quill.

The lesson I taught Twilight, Princess Celestia, is that sometimes it can be hard to allow yourself to get close to another pony.

Allowing someone to help with your fears and troubles means that you have to put a certain amount of trust in them, and that can be scary, especially if you've been hurt in the past. Accepting that, and moving past it, is the first step towards making a friend. If you just give somepony the chance to earn your trust, you might find that they surprise you with their intentions.

Trixie paused to look at Twilight, and offered a genuine smile before returning to the scroll.

In a long time, I've never really shown myself to others. There have been times when I've used my showmare persona as a shield, and other times when my pride has pushed people away. I liked it that way – or, at least, I thought I did – because it meant that I didn't have to risk getting close enough to someone to be hurt, or used. I'd be known to everyone as the 'Great and Powerful Trixie', never needing anyone's help but my own.

But Twilight has shown me that being alone isn't the only way. It might be safer, sure, but it's also lacking in something I'd forgotten about until very recently. Companionship. For me, it's been one of the things you don't realise is important until you have it. But it is important to me. And that's why, sometimes, it's okay to trust.

I'm still working on that part, but I'm trying my best to give people here in Ponyville – and certain others from my past – the chance to get to know me properly. The prospect is daunting, to say the least, but I think the possibility of my opening myself to others besides Twilight is... Well, it's a possibility. One day at a time.

Twilight has introduced me to something amazing, Princess. She has introduced me to the prospects of trust, and of friendship, the rewards for which have already proven to be greater than anything I could've ever expected to find on my own.

She stopped writing. There was a long pause as she set down the quill and looked over her work, during which time, Twilight just watched and waited patiently. When she was done, Trixie looked across and gave Twilight a searching look. “Well? How's that?”

A smile spread across Twilight's face as she looked over Trixie's letter herself. The words on the scroll touched her more than she'd thought they would, if only because it was Trixie who wrote them. She didn't think that she could put it any better if she tried to.

“It looks perfect to me,” she whispered. She leaned over to give Trixie an affectionate kiss on the nose. “Thank you.”

With the letter finally finished, Twilight put the quill to paper to sign it...

Your faithful student,

~Twilight Sparkle

“Ahem.”

Twilight turned to see Trixie looking back at her with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” said Twilight. “I always sign it like that.”

Trixie tutted and gently took the quill from Twilight's grasp. She crossed out Twilight's name – despite a disapproving grunt – and wrote...

Your faithful students,

~Twilight Sparkle

~The Great and Powerful Trixie and the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle

“There,” said Trixie, smiling as she deposited the quill in the inkwell with finality. “Much better.”

Twilight bit her lip, trying not to giggle at the ridiculously long signature, but it did her little good. After a quick chortle, she smiled across at Trixie. Trixie smiled back. Twilight leaned down and gave her partner's fetlock a quick nuzzle--

“Ow!” Trixie recoiled from the touch, her face a grimace.

Twilight gasped, mortified and wondering what she'd done. “Trixie! Your leg, I--”

And then Trixie peeked open an eye and flashed a teasing smirk. Twilight's mouth dropped open as she realised the prank. She poked Trixie in the side, and the showmare immediately started giggling. “You are terrible!”

“Terribly cute,” said Trixie.

Amidst the gentle giggles that graced the balcony of their home, Twilight and Trixie leant close to one another and shared a long blissful kiss. They would share in the embrace for minutes that stretched into hours, and hours into much, much more.

...Twilight's horn lit up faintly as she opened one eye and lifted the quill, lowering it to the scroll one last time. After she'd erased the existing signature, she simply wrote...

~Twilight and Trixie x

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FIN

Author's Note

Aaand... done. Phew!

Well, everyone, it's been a long, long time coming, but we've finally reached the end after two and a half years, thirty chapters and more words than I can count (but FimFic says it's around one-hundred-and-forty-thousand). It's been quite a journey, and as I've said before, Eyes On You has changed so much over the time I've spent writing it. Originally it was going to be a five/six chapter, generic Twixie get-together fic. And now... well, it's this!

The main thing I want to say here is “Thank you,” because what's happened with the story is largely down to you. Thank you to everyone who read and loved Eyes On You. And to those of you who just liked it. And even to those who just thought “Meh, it's alright I guess”, and read it all through anyway. You all are the main reason I stuck with this project through to the end, and your feedback and suggestions have taken the story places I never would've considered.

There were definitely times when I felt like giving it up as a bad job, and leaving it in the pile with the other unfinished Twixies. But I didn't. Because every time it even occurred to me, I got a message saying “I love this story, thanks for writing it!” or “Got home from work to see a new chapter had posted. Woot!” Okay, no-one actually said 'Woot', but the point is... your constant feedback and encouragement has been a great help over these thirty months – I feel that I've grown immensely as a writer, and I've met so many new people as a result of writing this story alone. So thank you all, for your support, and for just being awesome.

Unfortunately, I can't thank absolutely everyone I'd like to here by name (or I'd never have time to write another fic!) but I'd like to give a couple of shoutouts to a few people in particular...

Aragon, who sacrificed eating time between exams to pre-read for me, and was an amazing help with these last few chapters. Big thank you to him, and to everyone else who pre-read for me - TaviPlaysTheBass, Mercury Gilado, Kooshster and fimfic4ever (tell me if I missed anyone, you are all wonderful!)

To my friend LordJameh, who also pre-read for me, and whose enthusiasm for the story has been a great morale boost! And also for being there for me when I needed a place to crash, or just a friend to hang with. You're a good guy, dude.

To fellow Twixie shippers, Yukito and NavitasErusSirus, who've both been a big inspiration to me. See you guys at BUCK con! Also to Applejack-fan, for sticking with my stories and constantly saving me from my typos. Thanks man, and please keep your keen eye on anything new I end up writing!

And finally to Vyreinos – the man who incidentally introduced me to Twixie, and fanfiction as a whole, through a little number called “Teardrops and Snowflakes”. Who'd have thought that would ever lead me here? Thank you, Vyreinos – you brought me into something truly awesome.

I've already thanked the rest of you at least once, but I'll do it again because I can't say it enough. Thank you to each and every one of you who read Eyes On You! If any of you ever want to offer feedback, comments, suggestions, or just want to say “Hi!”, don't hesitate to send me a PM, or email me at Unlicensedbrony@gmail.com. I love hearing from ya!

Until next time, stay brony, my friends. :twilightsmile:

“Eyes On You”
a romantic fanfiction story by Unlicensedbrony (R. A. Rogers)

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This is a non-profit fan-made work of prose. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro. Please support the official release.

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Rainbow Dash's story will be continued in “Fall Back”
(coming... when it's ready)

:raritywink: